St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

A new executive order issued through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), which concerns migrant workers in the farm and food-processing industry, has been met with sharp criticism from Rep. Pauline Wendzel (R-Watervliet).

Wendzel accused the governor and MDHHS of "meticulously [targeting] a minority group, without any regard to symptoms," she said, according to Michigan House Republicans.

Allison Eicher, an attorney representing the Michigan Farm Bureau in a lawsuit against the governor, said the new measures unfairly target Latinos and migrant workers. “No other group in the state is subject to mandatory testing for work, except for nursing home workers," she told MLive.

Rep. Pauline Wendzel | Michigan House Republicans

Eicher added, “Ordering a small group of people to be tested, especially a minority group, and not ordering any other group of people to be tested, raises serious discrimination and equal protection concerns," according to MLive.

MDHHS called the lawsuit meritless and said it applied to anyone working in the industry, and that it would be providing full financial support to affected employers and workers.

The new executive order was issued after dozens of outbreaks on farms and food-processing plants across the state. MDHHS is requiring all workers ages 18 and up to get tested, as well as ordering housing camp operators to test everyone in that age group. They will also be required to test all new arrivals, who must then be tested again 10 to 14 days after arrival. Furthermore, employers with more than 20 workers on a site at any given time are required to test anyone showing symptoms. 

Employers and housing operators were required to complete a plan for testing by Aug. 10 and complete baseline testing and implementation of ongoing testing no later than Aug. 24, which Wendzel said is far too short a timeline for an already-stressed industry.

"We need a smarter plan of action to address this issue. As a member of the recently formed food security council, my commitment is that I’ll work with the medical experts and follow the data while protecting the civil liberties of our vulnerable community members," Wendzel told Michigan House Republicans.

Wendzel went on to say that the new order will only make a bad situation worse, citing the rising number of suicides in the agricultural community. The Midwest in particular has been hit hard with tariffs, bailouts, bankruptcies and climate change.

"This order that dictates a mandatory medical procedure will scare away workers and shut down family-owned farms," she said, according to Michigan House Republicans.

A representative from Swanson Pickle Co. said that an executive order won't address current testing hurdles and will only harm the industry and the workers. “What we need is access to timely COVID testing for symptomatic people and close contacts," she told Michigan House Republicans.

Currently, the total number of coronavirus cases in Michigan are at almost 100,000, with an additional 10,000 probable cases. There have been over 6,700 deaths and another 266 probable deaths due to COVID-19, according to Michigan.gov.