Labor experts report that the Trump administration's deportation policies continue to affect agriculture in the United States.
On a recent press call, labor researchers, union leaders, and farmers highlighted labor shortages during Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and noted that higher costs are being transferred to consumers.
Robert Lynch, a researcher at the Economic Policy Institute and co-founder of Economic Insights and Research Consulting, said the U.S. labor market has lost 1.2 million foreign-born workers since January, including undocumented immigrants and those with legal status. He noted that agriculture has been directly affected. Research showed agricultural employment declined by 6.5% between March and July, reversing a two-year trend of growth for the industry.
This decline is influencing pricing across the supply chain. Higher costs for labor are reflected in produce prices as well as in consumer food expenditures. Growers report that shortages in available workers complicate harvest schedules and logistics.
Antonio De Loera-Brust, communications director with United Farm Workers, said farmworkers often stay home during periods of intensive ICE activity, but eventually return. "This is not a workforce that is making enough money to be able to stay home indefinitely. This is not a workforce that has large amounts of savings they cannot afford to hide for days, let alone months or four years on end," he said.
According to De Loera-Brust, more frequent raids are expected following congressional approval of an expanded ICE budget earlier this year. Politico reported that President Trump had spoken about wanting to "work with" farmers on potential solutions, but De Loera-Brust said enforcement actions remain aggressive.
For agriculture, labor shortages and higher costs are adding pressure to fruit and vegetable markets. Growers and industry representatives emphasize that access to reliable labor is an ongoing concern for production, harvesting, and pricing.
Source: KJZZ Phoenix
