Mass Deportations Are Pushing US Farms to Breaking Point

Monday, May 05, 2025

"Martin Casanova, founder of THX, a program that connects consumers with farmworkers, told Newsweek: "We are dangerously close to a breaking point. In 2022, an estimated 15 million tons of produce were left unharvested in the U.S. -- enough for 30 billion daily servings."

Posted by danni at 07:32 PM | 15 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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Like other farmers in the United States, dairy farmers rely on immigrant laborers from Mexico or Central America, many of them without authorization to work here. @asharpwriter.bsky.social reports for @barnraiser.bsky.social:

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-- Sentient (@sentientmedia.org) April 30, 2025 at 12:01 PM

Comments

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Womp womp.

#1 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-05-01 01:15 PM | Reply

Frankly, I've been stunned by the number of TikToks from folks who are worried about their harvest, tacitly (and sometimes openly) admitting their workforce is largely undocumented workers.

It's why I point out the problems are centered in Republican counties, where Republican sheriffs look the other way, while Republican members of the largely-Republican Chambers of Commerce are, coincidentally, the largest contributors to the Sheriff's re-election campaign.

#2 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-05-01 01:22 PM | Reply

@#2 ... Frankly, I've been stunned by the number of TikToks from folks who are worried about their harvest, tacitly (and sometimes openly) admitting their workforce is largely undocumented workers. ...

Exactly.

For years I have stated that undocumented immigrants should be deported.

But I also asked a question ...

What would be the effect of that upon the economy?

And how could that effect be mitigated?

#3 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-05-05 08:09 PM | Reply

"Mass Deportations Are Pushing US Farms to Breaking Point"

That's a feature, not a bug.

Republicans are destroying the economy on purpose.

They are forcing the weak to fail.

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

#4 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-05-05 09:44 PM | Reply

@#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. ...

#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-05-05 10:34 PM | Reply

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.

#6 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-05-05 10:44 PM | Reply

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

#7 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-05-05 10:47 PM | Reply

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.

#8 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2025-05-06 10:33 AM | Reply

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.

#9 | Posted by northguy3 at 2025-05-06 10:44 AM | Reply

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.

#10 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2025-05-06 10:57 AM | Reply | Funny: 1

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 | Posted by catdog at 2025-05-06 01:50 PM | Reply

#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

#12 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-05-06 02:06 PM | Reply

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

#13 | Posted by THEBULL at 2025-05-06 06:55 PM | Reply

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."

#14 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-05-06 07:01 PM | Reply

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.

#15 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-05-06 07:15 PM | Reply