U.S. farm industry groups urge Trump to exempt illegal immigrant agricultural workers from mass deportation orders

By lauraharris // 2024-11-28

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Farm industry groups are appealing to President-elect Donald Trump to make exemptions for businesses in the agricultural sector from his promises of ordering the mass deportation of illegal immigrants. In his first major interview with NBC News after winning the presidency, Trump confirmed that he will implement the largest deportation of undocumented immigrants in American history regardless of logistical and financial implications when he takes office in January. Meaning, the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants will have no exemptions. "It's not a question of a price tag," Trump said during the phone interview on Thursday, Nov. 7. "It's not — really, we have no choice. When people have been killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they're going to go back to those countries because they're not staying here. There is no price tag." However, agricultural experts warned that such measures could disrupt the country's food supply chain, which is heavily reliant on immigrant labor, a large portion of which comes from undocumented immigrants. According to the Department of Labor and Department of Agriculture (USDA), nearly half of America's approximately two million farm workers, including dairy and meatpacking workers, lack legal status. In turn, the USDA disclosed that the agricultural sector alone contributed $1.5 trillion or 5.6 percent to the United States' gross domestic product in 2023. David Ortega, a professor of food economics and policy at Michigan State University, warned that deporting farm workers could "shock the food supply chain," which could lead to increased prices and economic strain. Ortega also disclosed that illegal immigrants in the agricultural sector "are filling critical roles that many U.S.-born workers are either unable or unwilling to perform." Rep. John Duarte (R-CA), a fourth-generation farmer from California's agriculture-rich Central Valley region, echoed a similar statement. He suggested that the administration should grant leniency to long-term immigrant workers without criminal records and explore pathways to permanent legal status, because if not, small towns would collapse if these workers were deported.

Trump would prioritize mass deportation of criminals, but did not disclose if farm workers would be affected

During Trump's first term, he had made assurances to the farming sector that food industry workers would not be the focus of his deportation efforts. However, the administration still carried out raids at some agricultural worksites, including poultry processing plants in Mississippi and produce facilities in Nebraska. Meanwhile, Trump's incoming "border czar" Tom Homan and other Republican immigration hardliners, disclosed that the second Trump administration would prioritize criminals and people with final deportation orders. Homan even said in a Fox News phone interview on Nov. 11 that enforcement against businesses employing undocumented workers, but has not specifically addressed the agriculture sector. (Related: Haitian illegals departing Springfield, Ohio over fears of Trump's MASS DEPORTATION policies.) Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt echoed a similar statement, but did not directly address the farm industry's concerns: "The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, like deporting migrant criminals and restoring our economic greatness. He will deliver." In response, Dave Puglia, president and CEO of Western Growers, which represents produce farmers, clarified that their group definitely supports deportation of criminals and those with final deportation orders, but is also concerned about its impacts to the agricultural sector. Head over to Trump.news for more stories about mass deportations of illegals under the second Trump administration. Listen to a Springfield resident named Mark telling the Health Ranger Mike Adams that weaponized migration is economic warfare against American citizens in this clip. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

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Trump would prioritize mass deportation of criminals, but did not disclose if farm workers would be affected

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