Immigration Law

WILL E-VERIFY KILL THE FEDERAL STUDENT LUNCH PROGRAM?

By Greg Siskind

Farmers in California are worried about the impact that a new executive order requiring businesses that contract with the federal government must use the E-Verify electronic employment verification system. The Sacramento Bee reports one group that is concerned is the state's association of 500 peach growers. Those farmers supply 80% of the nation's peaches and many of those peaches end up in the federal student lunch program for impoverished youngsters. Given estimates that 50 to 75% of farm workers are illegally in the US, there seems to be no way farmers across the board can participate in the E-Verify program and continue to operate in the short term. And that will likely mean that farmers will be forced to stop supplying food to those supplying the federal student lunch program. That in turn could mean the program won't be able to continue operating due to a lack of suppliers or that the federal program will be forced to import all of the food used in the program. Talk about your unintended consequences!

Full post as published by Greg Siskind's Blog on July 26, 2008 (boomark / email).