Growing with growers since 1946
  • February 15th 2010 Issue
  • Long wait for immigration reform

    Though many lawmakers acknowledge the current immigration system is broken, they are unlikely to pass legislation soon.

    Every year, the Valicoff Fruit Company in the Yakima Valley dutifully sends off W-2 tax forms for its pickers. President Rob ­Valicoff says he requires legal identification from all his workers, but he knows IDs can be faked. Every year, his company expects some return mail from the Internal Revenue Service. “Within two months, we’ll get a stack of ‘no match’ letters,” he said, which means he’s been hiring illegal immigrants. But Valicoff probably gets fewer of those letters than some growers. For years, he’s been using the H-2A visa program, which brings legal guest- workers into the United States […]

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