Chilled by ICE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity is rele

摘要

Ice is a chilly substance, and the government agency I called ICE—Immigration and Customs Enforce-I ment—is aptly named. It sends chills down the I spines of fruit growers and packers who hire seasonal I labor to pick and pack fruit, and of workerswho may be in the United States illegally.It is estimated that 60 percent of seasonal workers are in the country illegally and should not be working in orchards, vineyards, and packing houses. Almost all of them are from Central America. While "ICE raids" have been far from a daily occurrence inthe fruit industry, the few that have occurred have put the fear of ICE into many employers. Remember, too, that agriculture hires just under 2 million workers, and the total population of immigrants in the United States illegally is estimated at 12 million. ICE has more than agriculture on its agenda, although many believe agriculture is "targeted."