1986 Special Agricultural Worker Amnesty Reality
John W. Slagle
January 30, 2006
In 1986, President Reagan signed the Immigration and Reform Act for Amnesty. This action would grant 2.7 million illegal aliens in the United States legal status as Special Agricultural Workers. A system of employer sanctions would also be placed into law. Any employer that hired illegal aliens could be fined from $250 to $10,000 for flagrant continual violations. The status of persons seeking employment had to be verified on a I-9 form for INS Investigators or Border Patrol.
The President stated that "a nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation".
The Amnesty was to be a one time only policy to control illegal immigration. The President had the right idea to enforce sanctions and fining companies that actively recruited and hired illegal workers for sub standard wages. This protected not only citizens but also legally admitted Immigrants. There were many problems from the onset of the program.
Congress failed to understand that there was insufficient U.S. Border Agents to control the Borders after the 1986 Amnesty. There were also very few Special Agents, Criminal investigators to force compliance of the labor sanctions laws or to insure that the 2.7 million were not admitted by fraudulent means.
By 1987, the Southern Borders were flooded with illegal aliens from Mexico and Central America. Human trafficking, false document sales was a problem nationwide. One or two Special Agents per City or sometimes per State working fraud cases was normal. Typical cases that were uncovered involved farm managers who certified that countless aliens had worked on their farms for over 90 days and were qualified for Amnesty.
Many of the Agricultural Farms were found to be non-existent yet would have 200 to 300 aliens certified as workers. The I-705 letters commanded premium prices that were eagerly paid for by people seeking legalization.
Fraud was estimated at 70 per cent of all Amnesty admissions by the INS and later by an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General.
The newly legalized Special Agricultural Workers could now work anywhere. The labor void in agriculture was now filled by illegal Guatemalans recruited for all four regions of the United States.
Human trafficking in Arizona, overland routes to California, Florida and Oregon was a million dollar a year business for organized human smugglers after the first Amnesty. One major anti-smuggling felony undercover case resulted in the arrests of 115 major organization principals and over 9,000 Guatemalan nations. Many of the Guatemalans were held in at labor camps in "indentured servitude" labor until "smuggling fees" were paid in 1988.
Labor contractors were indicted and facts of indentured servitude violations were presented to the Assistant U.S. Attorney in Florida for prosecution.
By 1989, My partner and I flew to Guatemala City, Guatemala to meet with a friend, the former Commandante of the Home Guard, Guardia de Hacienda. We made numerous contacts within the city and villages located in the jungle south towards Antiqua. American companies and farmers freely recruiting in Spanish flyers and posters looking for laborers needed in the United States. Smuggler networks were also on hand to exploit their own people.
Smugglers advertised false documents and "Trips to the U.S. guaranteed delivery. An amazing fact at that time was ''your credit is good, pay when you start working". Few realized that "Su Credito es Bueno" had a very high price tag at journey's end in labor camps.
The President stated that "a nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation".
The Amnesty was to be a one time only policy to control illegal immigration. The President had the right idea to enforce sanctions and fining companies that actively recruited and hired illegal workers for sub standard wages. This protected not only citizens but also legally admitted Immigrants. There were many problems from the onset of the program.
Congress failed to understand that there was insufficient U.S. Border Agents to control the Borders after the 1986 Amnesty. There were also very few Special Agents, Criminal investigators to force compliance of the labor sanctions laws or to insure that the 2.7 million were not admitted by fraudulent means.
By 1987, the Southern Borders were flooded with illegal aliens from Mexico and Central America. Human trafficking, false document sales was a problem nationwide. One or two Special Agents per City or sometimes per State working fraud cases was normal. Typical cases that were uncovered involved farm managers who certified that countless aliens had worked on their farms for over 90 days and were qualified for Amnesty.
Many of the Agricultural Farms were found to be non-existent yet would have 200 to 300 aliens certified as workers. The I-705 letters commanded premium prices that were eagerly paid for by people seeking legalization.
Fraud was estimated at 70 per cent of all Amnesty admissions by the INS and later by an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General.
The newly legalized Special Agricultural Workers could now work anywhere. The labor void in agriculture was now filled by illegal Guatemalans recruited for all four regions of the United States.
Human trafficking in Arizona, overland routes to California, Florida and Oregon was a million dollar a year business for organized human smugglers after the first Amnesty. One major anti-smuggling felony undercover case resulted in the arrests of 115 major organization principals and over 9,000 Guatemalan nations. Many of the Guatemalans were held in at labor camps in "indentured servitude" labor until "smuggling fees" were paid in 1988.
Labor contractors were indicted and facts of indentured servitude violations were presented to the Assistant U.S. Attorney in Florida for prosecution.
By 1989, My partner and I flew to Guatemala City, Guatemala to meet with a friend, the former Commandante of the Home Guard, Guardia de Hacienda. We made numerous contacts within the city and villages located in the jungle south towards Antiqua. American companies and farmers freely recruiting in Spanish flyers and posters looking for laborers needed in the United States. Smuggler networks were also on hand to exploit their own people.
Smugglers advertised false documents and "Trips to the U.S. guaranteed delivery. An amazing fact at that time was ''your credit is good, pay when you start working". Few realized that "Su Credito es Bueno" had a very high price tag at journey's end in labor camps.
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