Undocumented immigrants in the state can own and register their vehicles, but they aren’t allowed to drive them, forcing many farm workers to risk fines and arrest. Determining how many of Wisconsin’s dairy workers are undocumented is almost impossible. Workers use fake papers to get jobs, farmers accept those papers without question, and the state and federal governments make little effort to get an accurate count. But a conservative estimate from a recent University of Wisconsin [School for Workers] study puts the number of undocumented Hispanic workers on medium-to-large farms at roughly 6,200.
Researchers: Alexia Kulwiec and Armando Ibarra