Will your food get more expensive? ICE targets farm workers

California farmers face mounting uncertainty as contradictory federal immigration policies threaten to disrupt the state's critical summer harvest season, following Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that detained 40 farmworkers in Oxnard berry fields last month.

California immigration raids created widespread anxiety across agricultural regions, which produce more than one-third of the nation's vegetables and more than three-quarters of its fruits and nuts. The industry generated nearly $60 billion in goods in 2023, according to state figures, relying heavily on a workforce that University of California studies estimate is at least 50% undocumented.

"We, as the California agricultural community, are trying to figure out what's going on," said Ryan Jacobsen, chief executive of the Fresno County Farm Bureau and a farmer of almonds and grapes. He added "time is of the essence," because farms and orchards are "coming right into our busiest time."

The timing of the enforcement action heightened concerns, as the summer harvest is the period when crops like tomatoes, peaches, melons, grapes, and cherries require immediate hand-harvesting. Without adequate labor, these crops face the prospect of rotting in fields or falling unharvested from trees.

Following the Ventura County raids, as many as 45% of workers stayed home in subsequent days, according to the Ventura County Farm Bureau. The immediate impact prompted growers nationwide to lobby the President Donald Trump administration, arguing that farm enforcement could hinder food production.

In response, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Our great farmers," along with hospitality industry leaders, had complained that his immigration policies were "taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace." He added it was "not good" and "changes are coming!"

The same day, a senior U.S. ICE official wrote to regional ICE directors instructing them to avoid farms, restaurants, and hotels, according to a New York Times report. The directive stated: "Effective today, please hold on all work site enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants, and operating hotels."

However, the policy guidance proved short-lived. News emerged first in the Washington Post that the directive had been reversed, creating additional confusion for agricultural operators.

"There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE's efforts," said Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, in a statement. "These operations target illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets, and expose critical infrastructure to exploitation."

The policy reversals have left farmers without clear guidance on what to expect. "We do not have a clue right now," Jacobsen said.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the Trump administration remains committed to "enforcing federal immigration law." She noted, "While the President is focused on immediately removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from the country, anyone who is here illegally is liable to be deported."

Despite the uncertainty, agricultural operations in most parts of California have been spared from mass immigration sweeps beyond the Ventura County action. Workers have continued reporting to work, and most have returned to the fields in Ventura County.

The raids have produced one notable development: increased cooperation between employers and workers' rights organizations. Employers are seeking guidance on protecting their workers, according to Armando Elenes, secretary treasurer of the United Farm Workers.

"Some employers are trying to take steps to protect their employees, as best they can," Elenes said. His organization has been training employers on how to respond to immigration agents, with a core message being to deny access to property without a signed warrant.

The enforcement actions created an unusual alliance between farmers and worker advocates. Lucas Zucker, co-executive director of the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy, read a statement from Maureen McGuire, chief executive of the Ventura County Farm Bureau, condemning the immigration sweeps.

"Farmers care deeply about their workers, not as abstract labor, but as human beings and valued community members who deserve dignity, safety, and respect," McGuire said in the statement. "Ventura County agriculture depends on them. California's economy depends on them. America's food system depends on them."

The summer harvest season continues amid the policy uncertainty, with farmers and workers alike waiting for clearer direction from federal authorities on immigration enforcement in agricultural settings.

ALSO READ:
Immigration raids leave crops unharvested, California farms at risk
ICE raids and their uncertainty scare off workers and baffle businesses