Challenges for farmworkers in Florida and elsewhere

[Guest guest]

This is a (very) quick and dirty analysis of some of the issues impacting farmworkers in Florida. I have been receiving requests for this type of information and would be grateful if you would share any similar resources you may be aware of and/or make additions or comments on the draft below. I feel certain I am missing some key points. I will be happy to share a final draft with you when I have one. Best,

Challenges for Farmworkers in Florida

4-16-08

It is a hostile environment for farmworkers and other undocumented immigrants, both nationally and in Florida. The result is increased fear and isolation, instability in the agricultural workforce and a reduction in the number of farmworkers in many parts of the state. Below I will briefly list some of the issues currently impacting this population.

Political Factors

The political climate over the past several years has become increasingly hostile toward illegal immigrants. Some even feel the hostility extends beyond illegals and has been generalized to the immigrant population in general. Illegal immigrants are scared. Their fears are confirmed as there have been an increasing number of raids in Florida and around the country to round up illegal immigrants and send them home. For example, a few months ago there was a raid in Tallahassee where 18 people were taken into custody. Families are ripped apart in this process and there has been very little regard for welfare of immigrant children as they are abruptly removed from the care of their parents.

Florida law enforcement recently entered into an agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) giving local officers unprecedented power to perform immigration law enforcement functions.

Numerous laws have been passed nationally making it more difficult for illegal immigrants to access housing, jobs and services. Two notable examples are one in Georgia that prohibits agencies from providing services to illegals and one in Arizona that allows businesses to be closed down for failing to adequately verify the documentation status of their workers. There is currently a law being considered in Florida that would require that the court reclassify a felony or misdemeanor offense to the next higher degree if the offense is the second or subsequent offense committed by an illegal or undocumented alien. Word about these measures travels through the immigrant community increasing concerns about traveling, being in public places, accessing services such as healthcare etc.

There have been a number of local ordinances proposed, including one in Avon Park that would prohibit landlords from renting residential or commercial space to undocumented immigrants. While this measure narrowly failed in Avon Park, it demonstrates the degree of hostility among large segments of the community toward this population.

New federal rules were announced recently, requiring employers to verify the documentation status of their workers. These are much tougher that the previous rules that were in place.

The Deficit Reduction Act requiring proof of citizenship make it significantly more difficult for immigrants as well as U.S. citizens to meet the burden of proof now required to be eligible for Medicaid.

Economic and Environmental Factors

Florida is one of the fasted growing states in the country. Farm land is being sold at an unprecedented rate to make room for housing and commercial developments. This trend is resulting in a reduction in the number of farms and the amount of acreage used for farming. This decline in agriculture has been compounded by a number of factors. The citrus industry has been hit hard by diseases like Citrus Canker which has destroyed hundreds of thousands, if not millions of trees. This challenge has led some growers to close operations and there is a growing trend to move citrus operations to Brazil, where the climate is similar but the land and labor are cheaper. Add to this the fact that Florida had 4 hurricanes in 2004 that directly hit the areas of the state that are heaviest in agriculture. The industry is still recovering from those events and some business closed as a result of them. The hurricanes resulted in a loss of work for farmworkers, many of whom went to other states in search of work and haven’t returned. Hurricane Katrina clean up efforts presented an opportunity for many undocumented immigrants to make more money than they could in agriculture, furthering aggravating the worker shortage in Florida.

Social Factors

There continues to be a critical shortage of housing for farmworkers in Florida. Despite this, numerous proposals to increase housing (including one in Wauchula) have been unsuccessful due in large part to the politicized nature of the immigration debate.

Severe budget cuts currently under consideration in the Florida legislature are likely to further degrade farmworker protections as there may be fewer agents to enforce existing laws and regulations designed to prevent abuses and protect farmworkers from agricultural hazards such as pesticides.

Kay Sologaistoa, M.A.

Florida Association of Community Health Centers

2340 Hansen Lane

Tallahassee, Florida 32301

(850) 942-1822

@...

www.fachc.org

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