FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – The reinstatement of the Social Security Administration’s “No-Match” Letters Program will impact agriculture, say Valley Leaders.
The letters will be sent to millions of business owners to inform them that the social security number submitted does not match their employee.
Some say it will target many undocumented workers, including members of the agriculture industry, considered the lifeblood of the Valley’s economy.
Manuel Cunha, the Nisei Farmers League President, was speaking about it Wednesday on the Ray Appleton Show.
He explained how it will affect Valley farmers because he says the labor force is so critical to agriculture.
“Probably going to impact about 8 million workers that have identity problems, that because over the past 29 years we have not resolved the problems laws from 1986. That was a mistake in that one, so this will impact a lot of people that have an issue with social security documents,” said Cunha.
Valley lawmakers including Democratic Congressmen Jim Costa and TJ Cox and the Farm Bureau are also in opposition to these letters, holding a press conference on Tuesday..
Cunha says other businesses such as construction, restaurants and hotels rely on a huge workforce of that kind and it could lead to a big shortage of workers.
“The answer is we need to take care of immigration reform – but the first is we got to secure our borders,” said Cunha.
Cunha says politicians on both sides of the aisle are preventing a solution from being hammered out.
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
