US Agriculture Sector Could Face Difficulties if Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan is Implemented
The US agriculture sector, which relies heavily on migrant workers, could face significant difficulties if President-elect Trump’s proposed mass deportation plan is implemented. Experts warn that this could lead to higher consumer prices and a greater reliance on imports, which are now under the threat of tariffs.
According to David Ortega, a food economist and Michigan State University professor, the labor-intensive nature of agriculture means that many critical roles are currently filled by migrant workers. If these workers are deported, producers and companies would likely have to raise wages to attract enough workers, leading to increased costs that would ultimately be passed on to consumers.
Farmers have lamented that it is difficult to get Americans to do these jobs, citing the labor-intensive nature of the work. The 2019-2020 National Agricultural Workers survey found that only 36% of farmworkers surveyed were United States citizens, with many others holding legal work authorization through the H-2A visa program.
Carson Jorgensen, a sixth-generation sheep rancher in Utah, emphasized that many farmers rely on migrant workers, both legal and illegal, to fill these critical roles. He noted that it is not about paying them less, but rather finding someone to do the job.
The H-2A program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the country to fill temporary agricultural jobs, but Jorgensen and Ortega noted that this program has its own significant challenges. Jorgensen estimated that it takes an average of six months to get an H-2A visa approved, but recently it took nearly eight months to get a visa for one of his workers.
Experts warn that Trump’s proposed mass deportation plan could lead to decreased crop yields and unharvested fields, particularly in the specialty crop sector. They emphasize that it is essential to create pathways for legal immigration to address the nation’s intensifying labor shortage and support these essential workers.