Migrant Farm Workers Says It Will Be ‘Chaos' Without Them
Migrant farm workers in New York have said the agriculture industry will descend into "chaos" without immigrant employees.
"What happens when an experienced worker is detained or doesn't show up? It's total chaos. The farm loses time and money," Don Juan, a dairy farmworker for 16 years and member of Alianza Agrícola, a worker-led advocacy group, said in a statement shared with Newsweek.
President Donald Trump has pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history as part of his aggressive immigration agenda. However, the plan has sparked concerns about its potential economic consequences.
Fully implementing the policy could reduce agricultural output by $30 billion to $60 billion, according to estimates from the American Business Immigration Coalition.
A shrinking labor force, particularly in industries like agriculture, would likely lead to supply shortages and increased labor costs, which could ultimately drive up prices for consumers.
According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, undocumented New Yorkers contributed precisely $3.1 billion in state and local taxes that year.
"We pay taxes like any other worker. All we're asking for is respect, recognition, and for people to understand that farm owners aren't the only producers-we, the workers, also ensure that there is fresh food on your table," Luis Jiménez, a farmworker with over two decades of experience and a member of Alianza Agrícola said.
"We work 365 days a year, 24/7. If we weren't here, the cows would get sick and farms would shut down," Lázaro Álvarez, a member of the Workers' Center of Central New York and Alianza Agrícola, who has worked on a farm for over a decade, said.
Recalling a recent incident on the ranch, Lázaro described how a coworker from Guatemala was rushed by ambulance to a hospital in Rochester, New York, after being kicked and trampled by a cow.
"I don't have health insurance, and if I need medical attention, whether emergency or routine, I have to pay for it myself, just like any of my coworkers," he said.
Farmers are calling for an expansion of the H-2B visa program.
The H-2B visa is a temporary, nonimmigrant visa that permits U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for seasonal or short-term nonagricultural jobs when there is a shortage of American workers.
The president's mass deportation policy could incur a one-time cost of $315 billion, according to the American Immigration Council. Meanwhile, removing 1 million migrants without legal status annually could lead to yearly expenses of up to $88 billion.
Business leaders are advocating for a more balanced approach that supports businesses while preserving the essential workforce crucial to their survival.
An estimated 40 percent of crop farmworkers in the U.S. are undocumented, according to the Department of Agriculture. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that approximately 11.3 million undocumented immigrants reside in New York.
Javier, another farmworker and member of Alianza Agrícola with five years of experience, said in a statement: "I see myself as part of the workforce...This is just a way to intimidate and abuse people who are working hard for their families and for this country. That's why it's so important that this persecution stops."
Jesús Mendoza, a farmworker for six years and a member of Alianza Agrícola, said in a statement: "All we're asking for is respect, for our work to be acknowledged, because for a long time it has been invisible. We are there in the shadows."
President Donald Trump said at a Cabinet meeting in April: "We have to take care of our farmers, the hotels and, you know, the various places where they tend to, where they tend to need people."
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