Immigration attorney Leon Fresco was quoted in a
Reuters article about agricultural industry groups' reaction to the election of Donald Trump as president. A number of groups have raised concerns about his campaign promise of mass deportation, citing potential disruptions to the food supply chain. The article explained that the agricultural sector relies significantly on undocumented immigrant labor and a sudden workforce reduction could have far-reaching consequences for food production and distribution across the country. Although the H-2A visa program offers a legal pathway for seasonal agricultural labor, it only accounts for about 20 percent of farmworkers, with many employers citing cost and year-round labor needs as barriers to wider adoption.
Mr. Fresco highlighted the ongoing challenges in balancing agricultural labor demands with immigration policy, noting that despite decades of attempted reform, comprehensive legislation addressing these issues has yet to succeed. That said, he commented, the risk of enforcement against farms is likely low because of the necessity of the workers: "There are some very significant business interests that obviously want agricultural labor and need it."
READ: U.S. Farm Groups Want Trump to Spare their Workers from Deportation