Catherwood LibraryILR School

As President Trump pursues more aggressive policies in arresting undocumented workers, the pool of labor for US agriculture is shrinking dramatically. The potential threat of deportation and subsequent loss of workforce is an alarming possibility for many farms and feed yards who depend on undocumented immigrants. In January, Trump signed two executive orders calling for a wall on the border between the US and Mexico, and the deportation of undocumented immigrants who have been convicted or charged with any criminal offense. Since then, arrests of suspected undocumented workers have risen by over 38%, since language in the executive orders is broad enough that all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US could face deportation. Those who employ undocumented immigrants insist that there must be a pathway to legalization for those already in the US. If not, the American Farm Bureau Federation warns that industry output could be decreased by around $60 billion per year.