As a dairy producer, your workforce is one of your most important assets. To protect your business and overall workforce, the Center has identified the following resources that could be helpful in navigating Immigration Reform and other issues related to supporting your employees.
Compliance Resources
Immigration, ICE and Protecting Farm Workers: In light of the substantial increase in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) enforcement activities across the country, Brook Duer, Staff Attorney, at Penn State Law’s Center for Agricultural and Shale Law recently led this nuts & bolts webinar. He shares what you need to know about USCIS I-9 Audits and so-called “ICE raids” to best protect your business and your workforce. They can arrive without notice, so this webinar includes information to help you be prepared, be confident, and have well-rehearsed protocols to implement should you and/or your employees be confronted by USCIS personnel.
Hosted By: The Center for Beef Excellence, Center for Poultry & Livestock Excellence, PA Beef Producers Working Group, and Center for Dairy Excellence,
Guest: Brook Duer, Penn State Law’s Center for Agricultural and Shale Law
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Preparation Important to Deescalate Any Tensions: The chaos that is happening in Los Angeles, California, right now demonstrates how tensions can escalate when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) audits and raids begin happening in local businesses. However, agricultural employers are encouraged to focus on deescalating any potential situation by being prepared and understanding your rights. If you do have a foreign-born workforce, you should be aware that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is now being more proactive in making sure employers are following requirements related to documentation of foreign-born workers through doing 1-9 Audits.
Shared By: Center for Dairy Excellence
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Know Your Rights Posters, Cards and Guides: This Know Your Rights guide provides crucial information for immigrants interacting with law enforcement in various settings, including home, work, public spaces, and during traffic stops. The fold-out poster in English, Spanish, and French guides immigrants on how to avoid immigration scams, protect their families when interacting with ICE, and create a plan for their family in the event of deportation.
- Click here to download the resources.
- Shared By: NY Immigration Coalition
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Authorization to Work and the I-9 Form: Employers need to revisit their authorization verification process and how to complete and store I-9 forms, given the likely increase in immigration enforcement in coming years. Learn how you can prepare your business to respond to an audit or other enforcement actions by immigration authorities.
Hosted By: Richard Stup, Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development
Guest: Attorney Michael Sciotti, Barclay Damon LLP
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Additional I-9 Work Authorization Resources: All employers are required to verify that everyone they hire is eligible to work in the U.S. Employers must view documentation provided by the employee to establish the employee’s identity and work authorization. These documents must reasonably appear authentic and must pertain to the employee.
Shared By: Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development
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Planning for Immigration Enforcement at Your Farm: Ramped-up immigration enforcement is spreading fear and resulting in family and workforce disruptions across the farm landscape. This webinar primarily focuses on making a plan for what to do in case of an immigration enforcement action at your farm.
Hosted By: Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development
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On Workforce Trends: Anyone who has looked for qualified candidates to fill roles in your dairy business may have felt like that is a harder task than it was even just five years ago. That feeling is very real. Since the pandemic, worker expectations and needs have shifted. There is also more competition with higher pay from other industries. Fewer workers in general are available because our population is slowly aging, and fewer people are participating in the labor force now than they were just a decade ago.
Shared By: Center for Dairy Excellence
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For resources related to broader workforce development issues, including worker safety, please see National FARM’s Workforce Development resources: Workforce Development – National Dairy FARM Program
Dairy Herd Manager Apprenticeship: The Center has registered a Dairy Herd Manager Apprenticeship with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. The Center is looking for host farms to serve as an employer for the Dairy Herd Manager Apprenticeship Program. The Apprenticeship program can help you develop beginner-level employees into well-qualified candidates to serve in herd management roles on your farm. Click here to learn more.