Fresno, CA — As tomatoes ripen across California’s Central Valley, farmworker Lidia is harvesting under a cloud of fear. More than two decades after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, the 36-year-old mother of three worries that increased immigration enforcement could uproot her life.
“The worry is they’ll pull you over when you’re driving and ask for your papers,” Lidia told the Associated Press. “We need to work. We need to feed our families and pay our rent.”
Her story reflects the growing anxiety among immigrant laborers as President Donald Trump’s stepped-up immigration policies reshape the nation’s workforce.
Decline in Immigrant Labor
According to preliminary Census Bureau data analyzed by the Pew Research Center, more than 1.2 million immigrants disappeared from the U.S. labor force between January and July. That includes both legal residents and undocumented workers.
Immigrants currently make up nearly 20% of the U.S. workforce. Pew researcher Stephanie Kramer noted that:
- 45% of workers in farming, fishing, and forestry are immigrants.
- 30% of construction workers are immigrants.
- 24% of service workers are immigrants.
Kramer added,
“It’s unclear how much of the decline we’ve seen since January is due to voluntary departures to pursue other opportunities or avoid deportation, removals, underreporting or other technical issues. However, we don’t believe that the preliminary numbers indicating net-negative migration are so far off that the decline isn’t real.”
The Associated Press report, published by AP News, underscores how enforcement has slowed migration after the number of undocumented people hit an all-time high of 14 million in 2023.
Job Growth and Economic Impact
Economists warn that reduced immigration has consequences far beyond farms. Pia Orrenius, a labor economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, explained:
“The influx across the border from what we can tell is essentially stopped, and that’s where we were getting millions and millions of migrants over the last four years. That has had a huge impact on the ability to create jobs.”
Historically, immigrants have contributed at least 50% of job growth in the U.S. economy. With fewer workers arriving, industries from construction to service sectors are struggling to fill roles.
Crops Left to Rot
In McAllen, Texas, advocates say labor shortages have already had devastating effects. Elizabeth Rodriguez, director of farmworker advocacy for the National Farmworker Ministry, recalled:
“In May, during the peak of our watermelon and cantaloupe season, it delayed it. A lot of crops did go to waste.”
In Ventura County, California, grower Lisa Tate manages more than 800 acres of citrus, avocado, and coffee crops. She noticed smaller farm crews earlier this year and said the fear of ICE raids has spread quickly among laborers.
“People were being taken out of laundromats, off the side of the road,” Tate said.
Living in Fear
For Lidia, the risk is not just economic but deeply personal. After 23 years in the U.S., she has built a life with her husband and three U.S.-born children.
Her greatest fear remains deportation.
“My biggest fear is being sent back to Mexico,” she said.
A National Debate
Trump has insisted that deportation efforts target “dangerous criminals.” Yet, most people detained by ICE have no criminal convictions. Supporters of stricter enforcement argue that immigration laws must be upheld, while critics warn that aggressive actions are gutting essential industries and forcing families like Lidia’s into constant fear.
As the U.S. celebrates Labor Day, the debate highlights a growing divide between immigration enforcement and the country’s reliance on immigrant workers to sustain its food supply and economy.
What do you think about the impact of immigration policies on American farms and workers? Share your views in the comments below.
