Farms could suffer due to stricter undocumented immigration rules in Pennsylvania

United States, 12th September: Proposed tougher immigration rules for undocumented immigrants living in Pennsylvania are going to affect a large number of farm workers.

Republicans allege undocumented immigrants consumer federal funds--The rules have been cited by Republicans, the proponents of the rules, as indispensable for curbing increasing public spending.

They allege undocumented immigrants consume a huge portion of public spending of the state including public welfare, public education and corrections.

According to leading package sponsor and chairman of the House State Government Committee, Republican Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler, each US state is getting affected due to undocumented immigrants in terms of consumption of government taxpayer amount.

Citing figures from the Federation for American Immigration Reform, Metcalfe said each year, around $1 billion is spend by taxpayers on the undocumented immigrants living here.

Undocumented immigrant community, Pennsylvania’s small businesses would suffer--Its being feared by the opponents of the proposed rules for undocumented immigrants that such changes could spell disaster for the state’s economy since it would affect a large number undocumented immigrants and deportation could create a huge shortage of farm workers in Pennsylvania.

It will put a large number of Pennsylvania farms out of business due to their dependence on immigrant workers, including legal immigrants as well as undocumented ones.

The crops are already hanging and ready to be picked, said owner of a fruit farm in Pennsylvania, Kay Hollabaugh.

She stated that the E-Verify system consumes too much time in verifying the potential farm workers. So, she said she has stopped using the system for hiring farm workers.

According to official figures from a Washington based policy center, Center for Immigration Studies, Pennsylvania has around 12 million undocumented immigrants living there.

Out of these, around 110,000 are employed.

Bills awaiting approval ---

• Allowing enforcement of law for checking of photo identification at a random.

• Requirement of photo identification for getting public benefits.

• Requiring all businesses to make use of E-Verify for ensuring all workers are US citizens

.The bills, if introduced, will thus, not only affect a large number of undocumented immigrants living in Pennsylvania but also will result in shortage of workers required to do the farm work in Pennsylvania farms.