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The California Farm Bureau Federation said that the ruling should provide “breathing room” to family farmers and others so they can continue to press for federal immigration reform that would allow special visas to immigrants coming to the U.S. to work on farms.
Farmers around the state and here in Lake County expressed concerns late this summer about the proposed Department of Homeland Security reform that would require employers to fire workers within 90 days of receiving a “no-match” letter – a letter stating that the names and Social Security numbers do not match their records – which might cause them to lose legal workers because of a mistake by the government.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer told the San Francisco Chronicle that immigration officials wanted to reverse a long-standing government policy not to prosecute employers just because a workers’ Social Security number did not match their records, but did not provide adequate analysis to support the change.
In August, when the Homeland Security released the rule, California Farm Bureau President Doug Mosebar expressed concern about the impact of firing farm workers from California farms which rely heavily on immigrant labor.
“If that were to happen during harvest and [the farmer] couldn't quickly find replacements, he'd lose his crop and face financial ruin,” Mosebar said in a Farm Bureau statement.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, whose agency issued the rule, said the government would consider its options, including an appeal to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, according to the Chronicle.
Until then, the Chronicle reports that Breyer’s order will remain in effect until sometime next year when it goes back to trial or a higher court intervenes.
E-mail Terre Logsdon at
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Andre Lafayette Stevens, 43, was sentenced Friday to 52 years to life for the May 4 murder of John Rayford McCoy, 42, according to Deputy District Attorney John Langan.
A jury found Stevens guilty of first-degree murder on Sept. 12, as Lake County News previously reported.
Stevens was found guilty of stabbing McCoy multiple times in a jealous rage, thinking McCoy had had a relationship with his ex-girlfriend.
Police reportedly found Stevens at the Clearlake apartment complex where the stabbing occurred with the bloody knife still in his hands. Stevens later admitted during an interview with police that he stabbed McCoy.
The jury also had found true a special allegation against Stevens that he had a previous “strike” for a 1990 robbery in Santa Clara County, which doubled the basic sentence from 25 to 50 years to life, said Langan.
In addition, two more years were added to Stevens' sentence, said Langan; one for using a knife in the crime and one for having committed a crime within five years of being released from serving a state prison term.
Langan said Stevens' defense attorney, Jason Webster, filed a Romero motion to have the strike involving the 1990 robbery dismissed.
“Our office opposed that motion,” said Langan.
Judge Robert Crone denied the motion, Langan added.
A call to Webster's office for comment Wednesday was not returned.
Langan said sentencing guidelines gave Crone no discretion in sentencing, and so he handed down the 52 years to life sentence.
Stevens is expected to be sent to San Quentin State Prison to serve his sentence, said Langan.
Andre Stevens is the son of Israel Stevens, convicted in September 2004 of second-degree murder for the shooting of Ruben Plevney outside the Swinging Door Lounge in December 2002.
The elder Stevens had a confrontation with Plevney, who was working as a bouncer at the bar. Stevens left the bar, returned with a shotgun and killed Plevney.
Langan said Israel Stevens, who is now in his early 60s, is serving his sentence – which was a minimum of 15 years to life – at High Desert State Prison in Susanville.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
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