VOA常速英语2007-Farm Worker Shortage Blamed on US Immigration Cr

By Mil Arcega
Washington
10 October 2007
 

Agricultural experts say stepped up efforts to crack down on illegal immigration is having an unwanted effect on American farmers.  Some claim recent raids and threats to prosecute¹ companies that hire undocumented workers have resulted in a severe labor² shortage that could force some farms out of business and lead to higher food prices.  VOA's Mil Arcega reports.

Thousands of undocumented immigrants have been arrested or deported³ following recent raids in at least seven major U.S. cities.  Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff says the message is that illegal immigration will not be tolerated. "For many years, the way we dealt with illegal immigration was we paid political lip service to toughness.  I think we've got to show the public that we are serious about enforcing the laws as they currently are written."

And the enforcement appears to be working -- perhaps a bit too well.  Estimates show more than half of all farm workers in the United States are illegal immigrants.  Without the steady source of cheap labor they provide, Wisconsin's Agricultural Secretary Rod Nilsestuen says many farms would be unable to function. "If you took away Hispanic labor from agriculture and from dairying in Wisconsin, we'd be in crisis.  There's no two ways about that."

But it is not just farms that rely on undocumented workers.  New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the city would quote "collapse⁴ if they were deported."  Even popular destinations such as Las Vegas would suffer.  Donald Taylor is head of the Las Vegas Culinary Workers Union. "Las Vegas would stop, we would stop in our tracks.  They do everything from cleaning a room, to serving a cocktail⁵, to cooking a meal, to serving a meal, to cleaning the casino floor."

In California's San Joaquin Valley, the current 20 percent labor shortfall could lead to fields left unpicked, and tomatoes rotting on the vine.  Luawanna Hallstrom is with the California Farm Bureau Federation⁶. "This is like a time bomb just ready to go off."

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Some states have taken matters into their own hands. Washington state has begun airing commercials aimed at luring⁷ farm workers -- with promises of higher wages and better lifestyles. 

United Food Worker's Arturo Rodriguez says the workers are there but many are in hiding. "The reality is that we do have a sufficient number of workers here to do the work.  They just need to feel that they are protected, that their families are protected.  And in that way they're going to continue working in agriculture."

The U.S. Labor Department says it is reviewing the farm worker visa program to look for ways to increase the flow of legal workers entering the country.  But some fear the government's actions may be too late to salvage⁸ this year's harvest.

1 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

5 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

6 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

7 luring   

吸引，引诱（lure的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Cheese is very good for luring a mouse into a trap. 奶酪是引诱老鼠上钩的极好的东西。
• Her training warned her of peril and of the wrong, subtle, mysterious, luring. 她的教养警告她：有危险，要出错儿，这是微妙、神秘而又诱人的。

8 salvage   

v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救

参考例句：

• All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
• The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。