The US farming sector is getting nervous about upcoming policy shifts that might shake-up its work-force. Tom Homan‚ the incoming border official says no-one will get special treatment; however the focus will be on people with criminal records
The numbers paint a clear picture: about 1-in-2 farm-workers dont have proper papers‚ and the food industry depends on their work. David Ortega from Michigan State points out that these workers do jobs that most US citizens wont take – which affects everything from dairy to meat-packing
The H-2A guest-worker program (which lets farms bring in seasonal help) has grown three-fold since 2014; however it only covers 20% of needed workers. Many small-scale operations cant handle the programs costs‚ and year-round farms dont qualify because its seasonal-only
John Duarte‚ a fourth-gen farmer and Republican rep from Central Valley says:
Small towns would collapse if these workers were removed
The farm sector brings in $1‚5 trillion yearly to the economy. Dave Puglia who leads Western Growers is looking for ways to keep workers while following new rules. The industry needs both short and long-term fixes: better guest-worker programs and clear paths for current workers
Farm-workers arenʼt sitting idle either. Edgar Franks from Familias Unidas shows how communities are getting organized. Local groups are teaching people their rights and building support networks – showing that farm-workers want to be part of the solution