The Finger Lakes region is rich in agriculture and many
of the crops require intense physical labor during the harvest. Take cabbage, for example.
I know you’ve seen these cabbage fields as you head to
the family cottage or take the kids camping.
The town of Phelps in Ontario County is known as the
Sauerkraut Capital of the World. Maybe you’ve been to the annual festival.
New York State is third in the nation in the business of
growing cabbage.
But who picks all that cabbage?
Lucky for us, there are immigrants willing to do this
seasonal, back-breaking work.
Unfortunately, not all such workers have proper documentation, and in
today’s political climate, that creates stress for the whole family.
Family Preparedness Clinics are being offered in rural
settings around Rochester through the partnership of Volunteer Legal Services
Project, Inc., the Worker Justice Center of New York (WJCNY), and the Cornell
University Farmworker Program.
The Jan. 25, 2017 executive order signed by President
Donald Trump significantly changed the enforcement priorities for removal of
undocumented immigrants. The danger of
deportation reaches rural families where one parent may be undocumented, and
detention and deportation may occur because of a routine traffic stop.
“An undocumented working parent may be detained while
innocently being a passenger in a car that was stopped for an expired
registration,” explained VLSP staff attorney Vasanthi Pillai. “His or her children are U.S. citizens, and
the family may suddenly be torn apart.”
Volunteer attorneys meet with families at the Family
Preparedness Clinics to talk about procedures for legal permanent residence,
naturalization, and related matters, along with setting up parental designation
documentation appointing a third party to provide basic child care in their
absence. Many of the families also seek
the appointment of a power of attorney so their financial affairs can be
managed in the event they are suddenly detained or deported.
Four clinics were held between April and June in Elba,
Sodus, Brockport and Geneseo. VLSP
Executive Director Sheila Gaddis created the program in response to a
significant need in our agriculturally rich region. More clinics are being scheduled.
The threat of deportation carries with it the potential
consequences of the U.S.-born children being deported along with the parent
simply because the family has no other plan in place.
Farm owners also worry about immigration enforcement as
most crops have a short window for harvest – four to six weeks – and having
workers detained or deported can mean crops rot in the field.
So next time you have a side of coleslaw or a serving of
sauerkraut, I hope you’ll remember the people that helped put that cabbage on
your plate and say a little prayer for their safekeeping.
Written by Nora A. Jones