Growers as Homeland Security Agents?

One more thing to worry about.

Employers, including many grapegrowers, are now the link between immigration compliance and the Social Security Administration.

Under the Department of Homeland Security's August 10th reforms, employers are liable for fraudulent documents and must fire employees unable to clear up problems with their Social Security numbers. Employers who fail to comply will face fines and sanctions.

In the past, the Social Security Administration (SSA) sent employers a "no match letter" to inform employers of discrepancies between an employee's name and Social Security Number. These letters are now considered constructive knowledge for an employer to conclude that the employee lacks legal status --and follow procedures to resolve the mismatch, or terminate the employee.

See this summary from Saqui and Raimondo for more detail.