Mountain State Times

Sheriff Steven R. Dawson of Hardy County, West Virginia, has expressed concerns about the difficulty in determining the legal status of hundreds of people from Central America and Africa working at a Moorefield poultry plant. "I am constantly arresting them with no way of knowing if they are here illegally or not," he said. This statement was part of an email dated April 25, obtained by Mountain State Times through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

"We have several hundred people in our area from Haiti, Mexico, Central America and Africa," said R. Dawson, Sheriff of Hardy County, West Virginia. "These people have been brought in here by Pilgrams Pride to work in the chicken processing plant in Moorefield as well as work in the poultry houses operated by Pilgrams Pride. We are constantly arresting these people, but we have no way of knowing for sure if they are here illegally or not. My wife works for the Hardy County Magistrate Court and has to bring in interpreters for nine (9) different African dialects, Spanish and French Creole just to arraign these people and access fines."

According to a 2019 article by West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Moorefield, situated in Hardy County, has seen a surge in immigrant population. The influx is largely attributed to Pilgrim's Pride, a poultry plant company that actively recruits migrant workers. Mallie Combs, economic development director of Hardy County, explains the situation: "It’s not that there aren’t enough people to work," she said. "It’s that there aren’t enough people who want to do those jobs."

Despite the job opportunities presented by Pilgrim's Pride, West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports that the working conditions within its plants can be challenging. Workers often face long hours and physical strain for modest wages. The company's recruitment strategy involving migrant and refugee labor serves dual purposes - meeting demand and preventing unionization to maintain control over labor costs. The harsh realities faced by these workers include standing for hours in freezing temperatures and performing repetitive tasks such as slicing and gutting chickens. A 2013 report by the Southern Poverty Law Center describes the conditions: "Poultry workers often endure debilitating pain in their hands, gnarled fingers, chemical burns, and respiratory problems."

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data shows that there have been 7,930,100 Southwest land border encounters since fiscal year 2021.

According to 12WBOY News, refugees from Congo, Syria and Afghanistan have found new homes in the U.S., with the highest number arriving in November, 2023. West Virginia has also welcomed refugees from Iraq, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, and Congo.

As stated on Hardy County's law enforcement website, Steven R. Dawson serves as the Sheriff of Hardy County, West Virginia.