(The Center Square) – Amid a statewide labor shortage, Governor Newsom announced a $4.5 million pilot program to provide free immigration-related legal services for undocumented farmworkers involved in state labor investigations. This no-cost new service will include case review services, legal advice and representation by an attorney.
With the state estimating half of California farmworkers are undocumented, the governor’s office reported farmworkers fear getting fired by reporting illegal working conditions or providing information as witnesses.
“Farmworkers are the backbone of our economy and we won’t stand by as bad actors use the threat of deportation as a form of exploitation,” Newsom said.
However, just as there are concerns that the current system allows for the exploitation of workers, others fear the state is going too far in the opposite direction.
“It’s going to encourage increased illegal immigration, which must be stopped. It’s going to increase potentially frivolous lawsuits being brought against small businesses and farmers in this state, and that is the last thing they need to deal with,” said Eric Early, the leading Republican contender for the U.S. Senate seat soon to be vacated by Democrat Dianne Feinstein. “They’re already under too much regulatory pressure, which is causing business and farmers to go out of business all too often.”
This measure goes hand-in-hand with a Biden administration policy to defer immigration action against individuals who are victims or witness to labor rights violations. California has announced it would coordinate with the Biden administration on this measure to “aid non citizen workers” through this program.
California has sponsored cost-free immigration legal services by allocating funding to qualifying nonprofit organizations since 2015. According to the governor, the pilot program is funded by existing state resources and is expected to begin later this year.