Abuse of Mexican workers was rampant. During the Bracero Program, more undocumented workers entered than those under contract. There was no penalty for employers to hire the undocumented workers, and employers actually preferred them, as they were more vulnerable and could not make demands for higher pay or better conditions or try to form a union. They were criminalized as “illegal aliens.” The employers could withhold wages, call the INS, or abuse the workers in any way, knowing they had no legal standing and had families in México dependent on them.
