Immigration and food safety Published on 12th February 2019. ( Выход / Заполните поля или щелкните по значку, чтобы оставить свой комментарий: Для комментария используется ваша учётная запись WordPress.com. Изменить ). In the next two months, as key vegetables and fruits come into season, farms will increasingly need immigrant workers to take on jobs that are often physically taxing or require specialized skills. First, the rule will allow H2B employers to employ an H2B nonimmigrant physically present in the U.S. while the employer’s H2B petition on behalf of that H2B nonimmigrant remains pending.
Figure 3: Immigrant Workers in the Agriculture Industry. So far, his business has managed to stay afloat in the past few weeks, and he hasn’t had to lay off any of his 30 employees. With at least 42 states under stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. food sector is under an unprecedented test to feed hundreds of millions of Americans amid a pandemic. They are also still subject to deportation, despite administration statements that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will modify its enforcement priorities during the pandemic. This special provision only applies if the petitioner attests that the H2B worker will perform temporary services or labor that is essential to the U.S. food supply chain. by Jessica Kurn. They make up one in seven cashiers, one in eight stockers and order fillers, more than 30 percent of all janitors and building cleaners, and one in five delivery workers. Take Action with Farm Aid.
Millions of Americans now count on them to secure enough food for their families who mostly eat at home these days. The final rule will give petitioners additional flexibility for employing current H2B workers in positions essential to the U.S. food-supply chain. The funds would be spent in workers’ local communities, and is both morally right and economically smart.
This steadfast dedication has resulted in thousands of immigrants throughout the United States. ( Выход / Immigrants make up 22% of overall workers in the food supply chain, according to the Migration Policy Institute, ranging from 73% of hand packers and packagers, 62% of agricultural graders and sorters, 30% of agricultural workers, 27% of food production workers to 17% of grocery and food and beverage retail workers. For example, in California estimates are that 60 to 75% of farm workers are undocumented. If you want to explore how immigrants often disproportionately serve in some of the most at-risk jobs in the Covid-19 crisis, including the food-sector jobs featured in this brief, click the image below to explore our data visualization. In some states, their share is even greater, such as in California, where immigrants represent 69% of agricultural workers, and in New York, where 32% of grocery and other food and beverage workers are immigrants. California Ag Today.
In the food processing industry, immigrants also play a critical role in meeting America’s growing appetite for diverse foods. What will it take to solve the immigration issue and how will that affect America's food supply? The USCIS explains that “petitioner seeking the flexibilities under this temporary final rule will be required to submit an attestation, swearing under penalty of perjury, that the H-2B worker(s) will be performing temporary nonagricultural services or labor or that is essential to the U.S. food supply chain.”. With mass closures of restaurants and schools, both farms and food processors are shifting their distribution priorities from wholesale food-service markets to retail grocery stores with surging demand, where immigrant workers are integral to their daily operations.
More than ever, the country needs more immigrant workers to manage the disruptions to the agriculture industry. Farm and Ranch Report. Figure 2: Immigrant Workers in the U.S. Food Sector. Уведомлять меня о новых записях по почте.
You may read the final rule here [PDF version]. In Maine, just as in the rest of the country, immigrants are on the front lines working on farms and orchards, in seafood, chicken and egg processing facilities, in grocery stores, and in food service, including in health and elder care facilities. Overall, 3.8 million immigrants make up more than one in five workers in the U.S. food sector. While the food supply chain is facing severe disruptions in areas ranging from production to transportation to distribution, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that immigrants play a vital role in helping the food sector adapt to these new challenges. (t)he pandemic carries particular risks for agricultural workers. private-public partnership launched an aid fund. Undocumented immigrants, and even immigrants in the process of applying for residency, fear seeking medical help if they feel ill, regardless of government assurances that they should not be afraid to seek COVID-19 testing, preventative medical care, or treatment. Figure 5: Immigrant Workers in the Food Processing Industry. While more than 212,000 immigrants work in food wholesale trade, nearly 529,000 immigrants are employed in groceries and supermarkets across the country, making up 16.6 percent of the workforce. In California, New Jersey, and Florida, more than 40 percent of their food processing workforce are immigrants. The past year has bought a cluster of incidents, leading to the question: Why now? This rule comes in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States. But similar efforts are likely impossible in cash-strapped small states like Maine, and immigrant workers who provide essential services benefiting the whole country should not be treated differently depending upon the state where they live. The food processing industry is struggling with the daunting challenge of preventing a potential food shortage while keeping their workers healthy and safe. Food & Migration examines the often underestimated link between food systems, and particularly food insecurity, with the movement of peoples. Furthermore, the petitioner must demonstrate that the employment of the alien beneficiaries will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly-situated U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The USCIS explains that the rule applies only to certain aliens in the United States who are currently in valid H2B nonimmigrant status. But as the coronavirus spreads, they are also becoming increasingly vulnerable, facing significant health risks at work. For example, in California, the country’s top agricultural state, immigrants made up almost two-thirds of the agricultural workforce. Discover how to support family farmers in your daily life and add your voice to the chorus of people making change all over the country. In the states hard hit by the coronavirus, immigrant food workers are particularly important to help keep America’s food supply chain running and ensure people can still get the food they need in this time of crisis. Several meatpacking companies have already fallen victim to the coronavirus, including Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer. Figure 7: Immigrant Workers in Grocery Stores and Supermarkets. Again, this additional flexibility applies only in cases where the petitioner attests that the H2B worker will perform temporary services or labor that is essential to the U.S. food supply chain. About 2 million immigrants work in this sector, making up one-fifth of its workforce in the country. Nationwide, immigrants make up 28.7 percent of all workers in the food processing industry. Please visit the nyc immigration lawyers website for further information. With at least 42 states under stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. food sector is under an unprecedented test to feed hundreds of millions of Americans amid a pandemic. Figure 9: Immigrant Workers in Restaurants and Food Service. Some states with large immigrant populations are taking steps to assist immigrant workers in essential services, such as in California, where a private-public partnership launched an aid fund. As the pandemic upends life in the country, Yassin Terou, a Syrian refugee who runs two falafel shops in Knoxville, Tennessee, shares his lessons about how to be resilient in crisis and find a pathway forward. Figure 4: Select Occupations in the Agriculture Industry in the United States. They are also still subject to deportation, despite administration statements that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will modify its enforcement priorities during the pandemic.
Although many restaurants are closed or struggling to remain open, the food service industry is still meeting the demand from people ordering take-outs and delivery of meals and groceries from home. See the impact we can have when we work together – take action with Farm Aid.
Second, the rule allows current H2B workers who are working in positions that are essential to the U.S. food supply chain to remain in the United States beyond the three-year maximum allowable period of stay. In 2018, about 27.6 percent of all agricultural workers in the United States were immigrants. This temporary employment authorization will also last for only 60 days. The temporary rule took effect immediately on May 12, 2020. In some states, that share is even higher. Изменить ), Для комментария используется ваша учётная запись Google. It has closed its meatpacking plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, indefinitely, after more than 200 of its workers there became confirmed cases for Covid-19. They are among the essential workers who leave the safety of their homes to handpick fresh vegetables and fruits, process meat and seafood, stock shelves with groceries, and deliver food to people’s doorsteps. On May 12, 2020, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had published a temporary final rule to change certain H2B requirements to help support the U.S. food-supply … Workforce Act, Online EOIR Automated Case Information Application Now Available. For example, since many restaurants can no longer offer dine-in services, waiters and waitresses, including 338,000 immigrant workers, have lost their jobs or are struggling to keep their current ones. Most do not receive sick pay if they fall ill, and they lack health insurance.