Dear Editor,
On Valentine’s Day, the official account of The White House posted on X, “Roses are red, Violets are blue, come here illegally, and we’ll deport you.”
Over 10,000 undocumented workers are estimated to be performing most of the labor on Wisconsin dairy farms. Losing undocumented farm workers would greatly disrupt rural economies throughout our nation.
Notably, although it is nearly impossible to fill these jobs with American workers, according to federal statute 8 U.S. Code § 1324a, it is illegal to knowingly hire an “unauthorized alien.” Violations are subject to criminal penalties.
Some mistakenly believe that the H-2A visa program can accommodate any undocumented agricultural worker. However, this program is only for temporary or seasonal employees, and so Wisconsin’s undocumented dairy workers are ineligible.
The presence of undocumented immigrants on Wisconsin farms is common knowledge. Why aren’t ardent Trump supporters in our state legislature and congressional delegation publicly calling for ICE raids on the dairy farms in their districts?
Sadly, rather than insisting on comprehensive immigration reform, as well as humanizing those who seek a better life, many seem to favor placing shackled and downcast human beings on military transports and flying them back to the countries they fled.
