The initial effects of immigration reform on farm labor in California

Agriculture was the major industry singled out for preferential treatment in the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986. Farmers argued that their traditional reliance on unauthorized workers and the seasonal nature of work in perishable commodities required extra time for them to adjust to immigration reforms.A February 1989 survey of California farm employers indicates that these employers had not yet adjusted to IRCA. Instead of revising their personnel policies to retain newly legalized farmworkers, farmers expected to hire more workers through labor contractors if the seasonal workforce contracts in the years ahead.