Farmers from the San Quintín area expressed their concerns regarding the lack of manpower in this southern Baja California region given California farmers are hiring workers to harvest their produce.
Members of the local Agricultural Council met with Congresswoman Nancy Sánchez, a Mexicali member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, to address the issue.
The Mexican lawmaker said that while U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a program to deport Mexican undocumented immigrants, ranchers in California are hiring Mexican laborers to harvest strawberries and other produce causing a deficit in manpower in the region.
American companies are hiring Mexican farmworkers through the temporary H2A visa program, she said.
Last year, California businesses hired 16,000 farmworkers and this year, due to the increase of strawberry production the amount might increase to 150,000.
“It is necessary that our federal authorities put order and control in the hiring of Mexican manpower from foreign companies that, although treat well most of our fellow citizens, are causing an impact to local producers,” she said. “We must pay attention to act in consequence if contracting is not being held respecting workers’ rights.”
Commission protects arrested individual's rights
The State Human Rights Commission requested preventative measures to protect Monday’s arrested protestors’ rights.
In a press release the independent agency announced the request filing with the City of Mexicali and the Attorney General’s office after a dozen of demonstrators were apprehended Monday morning.
The detainees were freed early Tuesday.
The commission said an investigation was opened for alleged violations during the arrests.
Some allegations have been brought regarding a possible blocking of the protestors lawyers’ job, accusations that were denied by the commission.
The independent agency has witnessed demonstrations all over the state since January to make sure human rights are protected.
Mexicali Mayor Gustavo Sánchez posted a 16-minute video on Facebook in which he called the arrests a regrettable incident.
The mayor justified the unblocking by saying that residents were not able to obtain services and pay property taxes.
Mayor Sánchez said most of the protestors’ demands were fulfilled.
Mexicali’s Committee of the National Action Party endorsed the mayor’s actions to disband protestors at city hall.
In a press release, the Social Encounter Party criticized the unblocking of city hall, calling it an authoritarian act that violated human rights.
The political party asked Mayor Sánchez to withdraw riot and sabotage charges filed against arrested individuals and to dialogue with protestors in a respectful, responsible manner.
Four die in highway accident
Four individuals, including two minors died Monday after noon in a vehicle accident, according to media reports.
The accident occurred at kilometer 38 mark of the San Felipe Highway.
A family was riding northbound on a green 1998 Ford Explorer when a mechanical failure caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle and rolled over.
Several items were expelled of the vehicle after the accident.
Two adults and two minors died at the scene.
Two injured individuals were transported to Mexicali’s General Hospital.
Minor arrested after robbery
A teenager was arrested early Tuesday after allegedly committing a robbery against a convenience store located next to the downtown Port of Entry, said the Municipal Public Safety Department.
Authorities said at 1:30 a.m. a robbery was reported at the Oxxo store located at Zorrilla Street and López Mateos Boulevard.
A store employee told police officers the suspect and two accomplices entered the site and brandished a black-colored firearm.
The suspects took 16 packages of cigarettes and 500 pesos or $25.
A 17-year-old boy identified as Luis Antonio was arrested moments later and identified as one of the suspects.
The suspect had the cigarettes with him, authorities said.
The teenager was transported to the police headquarters.
