Deportations may affect farm futures

After an executive order was signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office, plans for the largest mass deportation in U.S. history are now underway, with significant implications for the agricultural industry.

The Border Patrol's Operation Return to Sender, a preview of the deportation conducted two weeks ago in Kern County, was criticized by immigrant rights groups for disproportionately targeting farmworkers. "Border Patrol agents with the El Centro Sector Border Patrol conducted an operation in and around the Bakersfield area in Kern County," said Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. "Our operation focused on interdicting those who have broken U.S. federal law, trafficking of dangerous substances, noncitizen criminals and disrupting the transportation routes used by transnational criminal organizations."

This operation has left many local farmers and workers uncertain of their future, as it brought to the surface the increasing vulnerability of immigrant labor on which the agricultural sector depends. "I agree with some of President Trump's policies on immigration, especially his stance on deporting those with criminal backgrounds," said Miguel Prieto, a Wasco farmer and owner of Wonder Bee Apiary, who faced the consequences of the operation firsthand. "But something should be done to protect the working class, those who are not here to commit crimes but are here to work and contribute to the economy. Not everyone is willing to do this type of work. The conditions are tough – long hours and the physical demands. But it's a job that needs to get done because others rely on us.

"I don't think there's a single farm in California where a Mexican isn't running a crew or playing a major role in production. His mass deportation policy is going to crumble the agricultural industry as we know it, and America will feel the impact in their pocketbooks."

While some support the deportation of individuals with criminal records, California State University, Bakersfield, professor of sociology Gonzalo Santos, an expert in international migration, highlights the danger of mischaracterizing undocumented immigrants, whose supposed offenses often include minor violations rather than violent crimes. This distinction is crucial, as deportation policies disproportionately target those who are vital contributors to industries like agriculture while failing to consider the nuances of what constitutes a "criminal."

"Trying to smear and paint these individuals as violent criminals is a falsehood, a deception deliberately promoted in their narrative. They are really referring to people who, for many reasons, have committed legal infractions of various kinds, most of them civil infractions related to immigration irregularities, many of which involve things like traffic tickets and minor misdemeanors. Republicans consistently conflate these cases, which represent the majority, with very few and scattered cases of violent crime. They amplify these cases to smear the entire 13 million undocumented immigrant population as violent criminals. This is a falsehood, and Americans have fallen for it. Polls show that 80 percent support deporting criminal undocumented immigrants. Still, they don't ask what crime we're talking about because they don't realize that within that term 'criminal,' all kinds of minor infractions are involved."

Republican Congressman David Valadao has been known for his focus on agriculture and bipartisan efforts, particularly on immigration reform and supporting the needs of his district's farming community. "It is crucial we work towards common sense immigration reform that creates a pathway to earned legal status for hardworking individuals contributing to our economy while ensuring the removal of those who threaten the safety of our communities."

"One of the biggest challenges in the agricultural industry is a lack of a reliable and legal workforce, and as domestic labor becomes more scarce, our producers need to rely on programs like H-2A [a U.S. government visa program that allows agricultural employers to hire foreign workers temporarily for seasonal or temporary farmwork] to fill the shelves in grocery stores and put food on our tables."

Daniel Hartwig, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association, which represents about 400 growers, echoed these concerns: "We're going to D.C., and we're talking to the representatives there, saying if we lost half of our workforce, that would be a huge disaster, and we won't have a lot of the fruits and vegetables that make America healthy again. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a huge part of doing that, but we can't do that without the hands that harvest our crops. So, we're advocating to make sure that we're not seeing huge devastating situations, and beyond that, we need to have meaningful immigration reform. That is something we've been pressing for years upon years, and we're hoping that elected representatives will take those actions sooner rather than later. I know David Valadao is poised and has, I believe, already introduced another immigration bill to try to make sure that we're taking care of the folks who are already here and get some reform that actually takes place.

"We recognize the valuable contribution that the farm workers bring to our society, and

we want to make sure that we have a place for them to help bring those nutritious fruits to our

tables."