Mass Deportations Are Pushing US Farms to Breaking Point

@#4

Which industries employ the most immigrant workers? (January 2025)
usafacts.org

... Which industries have the highest percentage of immigrants in their workforces?

The construction industry had the highest percentage of immigrant workers in 2023: an estimated 3.3 million, or 28.6% of all the people employed by that industry. ...

Something both sides claim they wanted and needed to lower illegal immigration.

Less jobs, even Snoofy wants that...

What what? .....

They are hurting the people who need to be hurt, finally.

I thought Snoofy wanted the Citizens hurt by illegal immigrants?

I can't keep up with you changing priorities.

I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The worst part is that our fat, self-indulgent US population doesn't do austerity for the good of all. They threw a hissy fit over wearing masks to prevent spewing COVID-19 breath vapors on others because it was of no benefit to themselves.

There's 7,000,000 young men not seeking employment in America. Trump should get the army to round them up and drag them to the farms.
Back in 2016 there was a local dairy farmer with Trump/ Vance signs on every other fence post. Then he was raided because of all the illegals he employed .
Walmart, uline and the Trump organization weren't.
Funny that.

And how could that effect be mitigated?

#3 | Posted by LampLighter

There was bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform on the table while Biden was President. Trump scuttled it.

Too bad for all the farmers who voted for Trump. They knew what they were voting for. Elections have consequences and those consequences will include that people will go hungry, farms will fail, the US will be forced to import many ag products it once produced in abundance and children, college students with unpaid loans and those on Medicaid will be forced into the fields to survive. And for years to come Biden will be blamed, like he just left the room after passing gas...

#11: Trumpf voter in 2025: "But I didn't vote for this."

Trumpf voter in 2017: "Just like any other damn president," sighed Theresa Remington (44) a home-care worker and the mother of two active-duty Marines, scraping at an unlit cigarette: www.nytimes.com

They're almost going to have to hire Americans. Almost.

LINCOLN, Neb. " Every so often, Al Juhnke, executive director of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association, says he'll get a phone call from one of his farmers about how to solve Nebraska's severe labor shortage..

It goes something like this: "Al, I got a great idea. Why don't we invite any immigrants? Legal, illegal ... I don't care. Invite them to Nebraska because we have lots of openings out on our farm and we need help."

Juhnke says attracting workers to Nebraska is not about wages. The average pay for a meat trimmer is close to $18 an hour " well above the state minimum of $13.50. "These are good paying jobs in the plants," he says. "People say, 'Well, just double or triple the pay [and] you'll get United States citizens to work.' No, you won't."

They're almost going to have to hire Americans. Almost.
#13 | Posted by THEBULL

Unemployment is around 4%, who do you imagine taking these minimum wage jobs?

How come facts don't matter to you guys? It's really weird.

Who cares, illegal immigrants are going back

Who cares if one-third of the harvest rots in the fields, causing some farms to go bankrupt.

Everybody except Republicans thinks that's a bad path for the future of America.

"There was bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform on the table while Biden was President. Trump scuttled it."

Worth repeating even though some idiot called it "funny".

Truth is MAGAs don't want immigration reform; they just want to be angry haters. They focus all their anger about immigration and blame it for the sad way their lives played out; they need someone to blame; undocumented immigrants are their perfect "scape goat." All this b.s . about illegal immigration with little or no enforcement against the employers hiring immigrants with no green cards. I remember working for a company here in South Florida that would be raided by Immigration periodically but the undocumented workers weren't arrested; the owner of the business, who hired them, was. When did that change? These farmers have been hiring undocumented workers for years as they voted for Trump over and over. The U.S. has built parts of our economy based on cheap immigrant labor but now stupid Trump wants to just deport that labor source with no available replacements for them but now these stupid Trump voting farmers are starting to see the results of voting for a demogogue who riles up voters appealing to their inner racist selves because he hates brown and black people and capitalizes on the fact most Republicans do too but neither he nor the majority of his stupid voters ever consider the economic consequences of their votes; elect a populist demegogue and you get a populist demagogue who doesn't understand the basics of economics. We're entering a "golden age" my ass!

"In 2011, for example, the association offered around 6,500 jobs. They got only 268 domestic applicants and hired 245 of those. But only 163 actually arrived for their first day, and more than half had quit after a month. The number who stuck it out for the entire season? Seven."

Magats, here is your chance to get your hands on these jobs.

Not a surprise, and it's time we had a reckoning with supporting our food infrastructure on the backs of slave wages.

This where we should be looking at gov't inefficiencies, taking those savings and using it to fund a workforce that is here legally and well paid. I'm not against socialist flavored actions, just not give aways.

To debate the initial counter, it wouldn't be in the form of a subsidy to the farm. Let the farm pay minimum wage, but the worker could apply for supplemental "food worker" pay from the Gov't.

Keep the farms going
Workers paid
Legal residents doing work at a good wage, and not being undercut.

Kw,

"I'm not against socialist flavored actions, just not give aways."

That's a good line...going to remember it.

"This where we should be looking at gov't inefficiencies"

Other than deporting the farming labor force, what government inefficiencies are in play here?

"taking those savings and using it to fund a workforce that is here legally and well paid."

^
You're asking for Government Handouts.

You say you don't want government handouts, and then your solution to a problem entirely of the government's own making is... government handouts!

What the ---- is the problem with you people?

You asked a couple questions.

I'm not saying there are inefficiencies here. Speaking broadly when DOGE first started there were talks of sending checks to everyone. Don't, Keep making cuts to dead end projects to fund ones like this.

On Handouts; I never said I was against all government programs. I do however think they should be limited, and the ones we have should be limited in scope. Obviously we have worked ourselves into a position where farming is not sustainable without a low wage class of worker. The path out of that could be sticker shock to shoppers, but that would be more harmful to the economy and to low wage earners who wouldn't be able to absorb that hit. The other then is that my general take on what a governments role is to do or provide that which it can do better as a service than an individual. Roads, Police, Military, Fire, etc.. I don't think it stretches my position much to say that food production could be under that umbrella. So, while the country learns how to restructure how we run our food industries without relying on slave wage labor I think this is where a government program would be best used.

I liken it to a time where I was at a sub shop, and an older teen, probably out of highschool was making sandwiches. I was watching him take orders and start to make the order. You could see his brain racing, this basic task was pushing him to his limit. He was not going anywhere higher than this job, and wasn't doing that well either. Seeing this I realized, it was in no way fair to make this sub shop pay him a salary to raise a family on, but that this kid needed to survive. If we had gov't programs that allowed you to "benefits" but still be underemployed, I could support that. I feel these are similar situations.

Illegal labor, the one class of people the dems care not that they do not even get minimum wage.

Illegal labor, the one class of people the dems care not that they do not even get minimum wage.
#26 | Posted by MSgt

If Republicans cared, they have all three branches of government to fix it...

You're very good at blaming Democrats for things Republicans have no interest in fixing! Good boy!

If you built a business solely reliant on illegal workers and it is now going to go bankrupt because your illegal workers are being deported, you deserve to fail.

What you -------- seem to fail to understand is how US ag has changed over the last 30 years due to the illegals. If you take US dairy farms for example - they used to be family run with a family owning 40-80 cows and the farm could be totally run by the family. Now, the farms are 2000+ cows with one giant farmer owning all the former farms and staffed with illegals. This has a devastating effect on farming communities destroying schools, local healthcare systems, and suppressing wages. You ------- liberals are fighting tooth and nail for the 1% by demanding illegals in farm work.

""These are good paying jobs in the plants," he says. "People say, 'Well, just double or triple the pay [and] you'll get United States citizens to work.' No, you won't."
#14 | Posted by LauraMohr"

These are the -------- flooding the US with illegals and DON'T want US workers. For example, did any company try this approach of paying double or triple - the equivalent of $36 - $54/hour? That is $75,000 - $112,000/year. Also, remember that Nebraska's cost of living is 25% cheaper than the national average. Of course they didn't - but, does not stop them from stating this stupid talking point.

@#28 ... These are the -------- flooding the US with illegals and DON'T want US workers. ...

Yeah, I mostly agree, of course, without the gratuitous slurs that see to be ever present in your current alias' comment.

But that aside ...

Let's look at why US companies give jobs to immigrants instead of US workers. (and I do applaud your comment for saying that the companies "DON'T want US workers." That's a major step forward in resolving the problem.)

As I have long stated, immigrants are not "stealing" jobs from Americans, companies are giving the jobs to immigrants instead of American workers. Good to see your current alias agree.

So, why might the companies not want US workers? (I'll skip the all-caps your current alias used)

From what I've read, it seems to be that the companies know that immigrants are much less likely to complain about unsafe working conditions because, if they do, they may be deported.

And then there is the lower wage that the immigrants will work for, as opposed to paying the higher wage of American workers.

So, as your current alias' comment seems to say, that the issue is the companies' hiring practices, and the reasons behind those hiring practices, and not the immigrants.

"And then there is the lower wage that the immigrants will work for, as opposed to paying the higher wage of American workers."

It is all about the lower wages. All jobs are ---- jobs to an extent and the more of a ---- job it is, the more you have to pay people to do it. The ---- job part could be working in the sun all day or it could be requiring 8 years of school before you are allowed to do it.

As such, I simply do not believe that you cannot attract workers AT ANY PRICE for these jobs. That is a straight up lie. The correct sentence is that "you cannot attract US workers at the low wages that illegals are willing to accept"

"So, as your current alias' comment seems to say, that the issue is the companies' hiring practices, and the reasons behind those hiring practices, and not the immigrants.
#29 | Posted by LampLighter"

It is both - but largely, a problem caused by the US government. Wisconsin dairy farmers used US workers to milk cows for 200 years before this flood of illegals. There were no milk shortages or cows dying in fields due to the lack of illegal workers. So, what changed?

What changed is after the first farmer started using illegals - and there was no immediate government crackdown - that farmers started to make way higher profits and started to drive his competition out of the market. So what happened next, well, another farmer did the same thing to complete because they didn't go out of business. It was the exact same cycle that happened with the Chinese off-shoring since the 1990's. The US government sat on their hands because they are more or less payed off by the people that first adopted the illegal practices because they made all the money. They bought off the chamber of commerce and the local police so their supply of illegals would continue to flood into the country and their illegals would not be stopped and deported for driving without a license or insurance.

And it was BOTH parties. Back in the 90's, the Democrats were slightly better because they still fought for unions and unions hate illegal workers BECAUSE THEY SUPPRESS WAGES - especially in the building trades. As for the GOP - it was controlled by the rich 1% and globalist/corporatists and they worked on behalf of the rich farmers that started bringing in the illegals.

This has now 100% flipped as MAGA is the party of the working class and the Dems want illegals for their votes and to skew the census for blue states AND they are now the party controlled by the 1%.

Who loses out? Unskilled American and disproportionately black Americans. But the reality is that it hurts ALL Americans.

@#30 ... It is both - but largely, a problem caused by the US government. Wisconsin dairy farmers used US workers to milk cows for 200 years before this flood of illegals. There were no milk shortages or cows dying in fields due to the lack of illegal workers. So, what changed? ...

Simple.

Companies looking to reduce costs at any expense, including the safety of workers.

The efforts of your current alias to blame Democrats is humorous, at best.

An excerpt from the Border Patrol Union webpage that was deleted during fmr Pres Trump's first term:
web.archive.org

Walls and fences are temporary solutions that focus on the symptom (illegal immigration) rather than the problem (employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens).

Walls and fences are only a speed bump. People who want to come to the United States to obtain employment will continue to go over, under, and around the walls and fences that are constructed.

Walls and fences will undoubtedly result in an increase in fraudulent documents and smuggling through the Ports of Entry.

Walls and fences do not solve the issue of people entering the country legally and staying beyond the date they are required to leave the country, a problem which will undoubtedly increase as more walls and fences are constructed.

"An excerpt from the Border Patrol Union webpage that was deleted during fmr Pres Trump's first term:
web.archive.org
#31 | Posted by LampLighter"

It was deleted because it was absolutely nonsense. Trump just proved that by cutting illegal immigration by 99.9% without any action by Congress. The wall does not stop illegals 100% - but it slows them down so that they can be apprehended by CBP before they disappear into the country.

That said, I am 100% for punishing people for knowingly hiring illegals. I am 100% for driving them out of business and 100% against giving them any kind of bailout for a problem that they created themselves.

It is akin to a bank manager that stole $50,000 a month to live a high lifestyle and we changed the IT system so this is no longer possible - who would fight to give this guy a bailout because he can no longer continue his criminal lifestyle? Same goes for US ag. Same goes for US restaurants, lawn care, and construction companies.

Lastly, the actions taken by the Democrats to try to slow the process for the next 4 years hoping they can win back the presidency and give all the remaining illegals citizenship is absolutely destroying the country.

@#32 ... It was deleted because it was absolutely nonsense. ...

Was it deleted because it was nonsense?

Or was it deleted because it ran counter to what Pres Trump was saying? My guess would be the latter, based upon Pres Trump's current actions.

Asked differently, why would the web site of the US Border Patrol employees post something that was, as your current alias asserts, nonsense?

Is your current alias saying that the US Border Patrol is based in nonsense?

"Was it deleted because it was nonsense?
#33 | Posted by LampLighter"

Last month, illegal crossings were down 99.9%. It is no longer debatable - the data is in.

@#34 ... It is no longer debatable ...

And that is relevant to the reason why companies have chosen to hire immigrants instead of Americans ... how?

Besides your current alias giving up in defending its opinion.

I do notice that it did not present the usual wall-of-text it usually presents.

Just a plain, simple, ~I give up.~

"It is no longer debatable"

But is it sensible?

Will it be considered wise, once harvests fall short, and food prices spike? That's an obviously observable outcome.

And will Trump take responsibility? Or will the bad results be Biden's fault?

@#34

And, for the record, I has always stated that if you are in this Country illegally, you should be deported.

But I have usually added, what would the effects be upon the American economy that has become so dependent upon immigrant, instead of American, labor?

My guess is that we may be starting to see the effects of the reduced pool of immigrant workers.

Are American workers stepping up to fill the positions left empty by the lack of immigrants?

"And that is relevant to the reason why companies have chosen to hire immigrants instead of Americans ... how?"

When illegals are not allowed to be in the country, whether the employer wants to hire them no longer matters. Please try to keep up as this is just logic 101.

"Besides your current alias giving up in defending its opinion."

My position is 100% consistent. I am not saying don't jail employers. I am 100% for that too. I am an 'all of the above supporter' - I want zero illegal immigration, employers that hire illegals jailed, and I want guest worker programs where if a child is born from one of the guest workers, they don't get instant citizenship.

"I do notice that it did not present the usual wall-of-text it usually presents.
by LampLighter"

Because words matter - I am one of about 3 posters on here that actually have thought out comments.

There's this ...

New data examines immigrants' role in U.S. food supply
www.weau.com

... New data is shedding light on the role immigrants play in America's food supply"from the fields to your local grocery store.

At the National Food Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., Valerie Lacarte, a senior policy analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute (MPI), spoke about the critical contributions immigrants make to the U.S. food system. MPI is a research and analysis think tank focused on migration trends and policy.

"We at MPI, especially, we're really interested in putting out data and facts that are relevant to the public discourse," LaCarte said.

Immigration has been a long-standing political issue, debated across multiple presidential administrations. But behind the rhetoric is a labor force that quietly keeps much of the food supply moving, according to LaCarte.

MPI's data shows that about 2.1 million immigrants are employed in roles related to growing, harvesting, processing, and selling food in the U.S.

While immigrants made up 17% of the overall civilian workforce from 2019 to 2023, they represent 21% of workers in the U.S. food supply chain -- a significantly larger share.

"We underestimate the extent to which farmers have a hard time hiring U.S. born workers because- the narrative sometimes that we hear is that immigrants are taking the U.S. born worker jobs," Lacarte said. " ... they say even when the U.S. born workers do show up, often the labor is so tough, that they don't complete the day. People don't realize how many migrants are actually working in those farms!" ...