The 3 million strong farmworker force that provides the United States with its food has been deemed “essential” by the United States government during the coronavirus. Undocumented farmworkers, who make up almost half of this predominantly Latino force, have been granted a sort of reprieve from arrest by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agency that arrests, detains and deports undocumented immigrants in the United States
In a marked pivot from its previous stance, ICE issued a statement on March 18 declaring that, during the coronavirus crisis, it will focus on “criminal” aliens and “delay” enforcement activities aimed at others. The brief, four paragraph statement ended with a phrase civil rights organizations have long clamored for: “Individuals should not avoid seeking medical care because they fear civil immigration enforcement.”
DHS followed up a day later with a memorandum listing agricultural work as part of the “essential critical infrastructure,” telling farmworkers “you have a special responsibility to maintain your work schedule.”
