Trump’s Immigration Plans Are Already Wrecking the Food Industry
newrepublic.com
Immigrant farm workers are too scared to show up to work.

Summary

Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies, including heightened ICE raids, are disrupting the U.S. agricultural sector.

In California’s Central Valley, a key food-producing region, undocumented farm workers—over half the workforce—are staying home out of fear, leaving crops like citrus unharvested.

Bakersfield saw up to 75% of workers absent, sparking concerns of economic devastation and rising food prices.

ICE is also targeting sensitive areas like schools and churches after rolling back Obama-era protections.

Experts warn these policies could lead to widespread economic repercussions.

  • 9488fcea02a9
    59·
    7 hours ago

    i mean… trump sucks…

    but if an entire industry relies on exploiting undocumented workers, then i’m not sure trump is the only bad guy here

    • GoodEye8@lemm.eeEnglish
      3·
      37 minutes ago

      That’s probably the only good thing about Trump. Trump is so brazen with fucking around that the rest of America gets to experience the finding out part. Trump is fucking with illegal immigration and America is about to find out how much they depend on illegal immigrants (because I doubt it’s only this one industry).

    • thejml@lemm.eeEnglish
      28·
      6 hours ago

      He could offer these immigrants some sort of work for citizenship plan or start treating them like fellow humans.

      I mean, I agree megacorps making bank off the back of undocumented workers is horrible, but one way to solve that is to grant them citizenship, let them vote and form unions.

      • HerrBeter@lemmy.world
        9·
        4 hours ago

        Wouldn’t have to be citizenship either, just anything acknowledging them as humans whom are there to work. But Trump doesn’t dö smart

    • DarkSpectrum@lemmy.world
      13·
      5 hours ago

      The industry only relies on cheap labour because farmers aren’t getting their fair share of the upstream profits.

    • NobodyElse
      24·
      7 hours ago

      Absolutely.

      Framing this whole thing as if we would be rallying behind the mega corps who run on (what should be completely illegal) exploitation is a bit weird.

      • 9tr6gyp3@lemmy.world
        26·
        7 hours ago

        At the same time, let those who immigrated here enjoy the benefits of being a human in America. Our President of the United States of America needs to stop demonizing brown people. Help them instead.

        • fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          2·
          5 hours ago

          At the end of the day it’s a lose lose situation. Those of us in the states pay more for our food (or just have shortages) and the ones working the field get kicked out.