Alabama Farmers versus Immigration Law

by Fidel "Butch" Montoya

The Associated Press news article "Farmers say Alabama immigration law could cost crops,"
is perhaps one of the best examples of how some Republicans and members of the Tea Party just failed to understand the outcome and lasting ramifications of their anti immigration legislation.

Now they are beginning to realize Alabama farmers are trapped in a serious economic crisis because they failed to consider the consequences of their new legislation against undocumented workers. After believing their own hateful rethroic, misinformation and lies about how undocumented immigrants taking jobs away from American workers, they crafted a law which may now cripple farming in Alabama and leave this year's harvest simply to rot in the fields.

Farmers were forced to raise the wages to pay "American workers," and though many of these American workers may have been unemployed for months or longer, they have flat out refused to do the work of the undocumented workers who have always looked to harvest time in the USA. For undocumented workers this is a lucrative time to earn money as they travel from state to state harvesting crops from fields and orchards. In Alabama, farmers relied on them to do this hard back breaking work, offering them less pay than they are now being forced to offer American workers who still refuse to do field work.

Extreme politicians in Alabama voted for this bill because it would discourage employers and farmers from hiring undocumented workers. They did little to understand the economics of farming and how difficult it would be to find field workers willing to work in the hot sun all day.

In Alabama, the most strict anti-immigrant bill in the country has created a serious crisis for farmers as they watch their crops wither away in the fields because they cannot find workers who will do the work.

Meanwhile, more and more undocumented immigrants are beginning to leave one of the most racist states fearing that the new Alabama law will disrupt and separate their families. The legislators who voted for this law were blinded by their own hate and bigotry. This hate legislation would drive undocumented immigrants out of Alabama. But apparently no one thought about who would harvest the food in the fields.

Now farmers are facing a serious shortage of workers, and even by offering better wages, not even the “American workers” are considering taking these back breaking jobs, and with fewer undocumented immigrants trying to make a living, these undocumented immigrants are working always looking over their backs living in constant fear of getting arrested under the new law.

Unfortunately, it looks like more crops will simply rot in the fields and the American consumer will end paying more for food. At least the Republicans can pound their chests and proclaim, “we got rid of all of those unwanted and undocumented immigrants.” Now the question is who will harvest the crops before it is too late this harvest season....or will more farmers face a harvest disaster, and then expect the government to bail them out too?

I have cut and pasted the AP news article below, and if you are interested in reading about this terrible dilemma in Alabama and what farmers and supporters of the law are trying to do to face the field harvest crisis, please continue reading below.


Farmers say Alabama immigration law could cost crops
JAY REEVES, Associated Press
Updated 06:11 p.m., Monday, September 19

GOOD HOPE, Ala. (AP) — Farmers in one of Alabama's leading agricultural areas asked legislators Monday to make emergency changes to the state's tough new law against illegal immigration, saying millions of dollars of crops are at risk in coming weeks because of a sudden lack of hands for harvest.

The lawmakers said they can't do anything to the law right now, and it may be months before it can be changed.

About 50 growers packed a truck-stop dining room 45 miles north of Birmingham. They pleaded with three north Alabama lawmakers to amend the law and save what they called the lifeblood of the state's agriculture operations: The Hispanic workers who pick vegetables, gather chickens from poultry houses, pull sweet potatoes out of the ground and make the cardboard boxes that hold produce.

Those workers are leaving the state because they are intimidated by the law and without them, acres and acres of crops will be wasted, the farmers said.

Kim Haynes said he's lost about half the workers he needs to gather his 25-acre sweet potato crop. He fears the rest of his Hispanic employees will leave should a federal judge let the law take effect in coming days.

"There will be no crops harvested in an effectual manner without them," said Haynes, of Cullman.

The law makes it a crime to employ or assist an illegal immigrant in remaining in the country. It allows police to jail people if they can't prove they are in the United States legally, and the farmers said many Spanish-speaking workers who are in the country both legally and illegally have moved from Alabama in fear.

The gathered farmers told lawmakers they'd like to use U.S.-born citizens for the work, but few are willing to sweat in the fields and get dirty even though wages are usually well above minimum wage.

"We use Hispanic labor because we have no other choice. We can't find anyone else who will do this work," said Jeremy Calvert of Bremen. Most of the farmers were from Cullman County, but several came to the meeting from elsewhere in north Alabama.

State Sen. Paul Bussman, R-Cullman, said GOP Gov. Robert Bentley could issue an executive order changing part of the law, or Bentley could include an amendment to the immigration law in the call for a special legislative session that could be scheduled in coming weeks to help resolve a budget crisis in Jefferson County.

Regardless, state Rep. Jeremy Oden said nothing can happen until U.S. District Judge Sharon Blackburn rules on lawsuits seeking to overturn the law. The judge temporarily blocked it from taking effect earlier this month, but she said she would issue a final ruling by Sept. 28 that could clear the way for the tough legislation.

"The bill is in place until the judge makes her ruling," said Oden, R-Cullman.

Deputy Agriculture Commissioner Wayne Walker said state officials fear it could cost tens of millions of dollars in losses if farmers can't find enough help for harvesting. Tomato growers in east Alabama already are suffering because the law scared away the people who normally pick their crops, he said.

Supporters of the Republican-sponsored immigration bill say it was meant to protect jobs for legal residents, and conservative supporters plan a rally in favor of the bill in Birmingham on Tuesday.

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Fidel "Butch" Montoya is Director of H. S. Power and Light Ministries - Latino Faith Initiative.
Served as Vice President/News Director of KUSA - TV Channel 9 News from 1985-1990, and worked at the news station for 24 years as a journalist.
Served as Deputy Mayor of City and County of Denver from 1995-1999; and in law enforcement as the Manager of Public Safety, responsible for the Denver Police Department, Denver Fire Department, and Denver Sheriff Department for the City and County of Denver from 1994-2000.
Licensed to preach in 1972.
Serves on the Executive Council for the Hispanic Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
Founding member of the Latino Ministerial Alliance in Greater Metro Denver.