The U.S. Department of Labor has warned of a potential food crisis caused by President Trump’s immigration raids, which are disrupting the availability of farm labor across the country.
According to an internal report submitted earlier in October, the “near total cessation of the inflow of illegal aliens combined with the lack of an available legal workforce” threatens to destabilize domestic food production and drive up prices for American consumers.
Idaho Family Farm Struggles to Stay Afloat
One business at the center of the crisis is Owyhee Produce, a third-generation family farm in Idaho. General Manager Shay Myers said the farm relies heavily on seasonal workers brought in through the H-2A visa program, which allows foreign nationals to fill temporary agricultural jobs.
“At peak season, we usually have about 300 workers,” Myers told ABC News. “Roughly 82 of them are on H-2A visas — we pay for their travel, housing, everything except food and clothing.”
But amid heightened immigration enforcement, even legally authorized workers are becoming harder to find.
Legal Farmworkers Afraid of ICE Raids
Seasonal worker Mauricio Sol, who has worked at Owyhee for several seasons, said fear of ICE raids has discouraged others from applying, even those legally in the U.S.
“We usually get a lot of applications,” Sol said. “We’re not getting that many now because people are afraid that even when they are legally here, they might get arrested for no reason.”
Myers said despite efforts to recruit locally, few Americans are willing to take on physically demanding agricultural work in rural Idaho.
Experts Warn of Nationwide Food Price Spikes
James O’Neill, director of Legislative Affairs for the American Business Immigration Coalition, said the impact of Trump’s deportation raids could ripple through the entire U.S. food supply chain.
“Nationwide, the USDA’s ag labor survey suggests that somewhere between 50 and 60 percent of our farm labor workforce is undocumented,” O’Neill explained. “If we deport them all overnight, that’s 60% of the workforce gone — and 60% less supply. That means higher grocery prices for everyone.”
A U.S. Department of Agriculture report released in September supported that estimate, noting that about 40% of hired crop farmworkers lack legal immigration status.
“Let’s Do the Right Thing,” Says Idaho Farmer
Despite being a lifelong conservative and Republican, Myers said his experience on the ground challenges partisan narratives about immigration.
“I have a voice, I have reach,” Myers said. “And because I’m a conservative, people assume I’d think differently. But ethically, continuing to ignore this problem is absolutely wrong.”
“I love these people and the culture they bring. We as Americans try to do the right thing,” he added. “Let’s do the right thing now.”
The Department of Labor declined to comment, citing limited staff availability due to the ongoing government shutdown.
