Trump pledges protection for farmworkers as raids hit SoCal fields
OXNARD, Calif. - President Donald Trump is slightly changing course on his immigration policy, now saying "we must protect our farmworkers".
"They're not citizens, but they've turned out to be, you know, great. And we're going to have to do something about that. We cant take farmers and take all their people and send them back because they don't have maybe what they're supposed to have, maybe not. So we're going to have an order on that pretty soon. We can't do that to our farmers," the president said Thursday.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said he appreciated Trump's comments and expressed the vital role farmworkers play in the supply chain.
"Farm employees work hard every day to help produce healthy, American-grown food. If these workers are not present in fields and barns, there is a risk of supply chain disruptions similar to those experienced during the pandemic. We look forward to working with the President on solutions that ensure continuity in the food supply in the short term, and we call on Congress to follow the President's lead to develop a permanent solution that fixes outdated and broken farmworker programs," Duvall said in a statement.
Gov. Gavin Newsom also commented on Trump's announcement, calling it a major win.
Local perspective
Meanwhile, many farmworkers in Ventura County say they are terrified of going to work due to the ICE raids.
According to the Mexican Consulate and the Farm Bureau of Ventura County, in the last 48 hours at least 40 farmworkers have been taken.
ICE agents tried to enter five local packing facilities without warrants, and conducted operations in at least 10 fields.
They also reportedly initiated random vehicle stops on roads that are frequented by immigrants going to work.
In video posted online, agents can be heard using a megaphone to ask workers if they are citizens and have proper documents. In another video, an agent was heard saying, "yeah they know their rights, they've been here for 30 years. I get it, we are doing our job."
What they're saying
Local politicians and farmworker advocates at the Ventura County government center condemned the arrests, regardless of the immigration status of those being detained.
"The raid on Tuesday, the consulate confirmed that every single person picked up had been here for at least 10 years," said immigration attorney Vanessa Frank.
"This past week, our communities on the central coast in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties have been terrorized," Santa Maria councilmember Gloria Soto mentioned during a press conference.
The Source
Information for this story came from community members who spoke at a Ventura County press conference. A statement was provided by American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, and President Donald Trump.
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