Labor Contractors Key Link in Illegal Hiring

"When federal authorities catch illegal immigrants on the job, some U.S. employers have a ready explanation for how they came tobe hired: It wasn't us. It was a contractor. Although these middlemen, including recruiters and temporary agencies, do not figure prominently in the current debate over illegal immigration, they are playing an increasingly significant role in hiring and managing the nation's workforce. Especially in California, an untold number of contractors employ immigrants — legal and illegal — in such industries as construction, janitorial service, hospitality and agriculture," the LA Times reports. "Blaming contractors is not a sure-fire defense, but it has proved successful for some corporations. In one of the most prominent cases, a federal jury in 2003 acquitted Tyson Foods of bringing in illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America to work at its processing plants as part of a strategy to maintain production without raising pay. The government argued that Tyson officials knew the workers were illegal. Tyson's attorneys said a placement agency was responsible for checking the paperwork. The jury sided with Tyson."

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