An immigration crackdown risks sapping farms, vital source of labor

The agriculture industry is working to avert a potential labor crunch following threats from President-elect Donald Trump to launch a mass deportation of migrants after he takes office.

- Patrick Thomas

America's food-supply chain relies on a predominantly immigrant workforce for some of its most challenging jobs, such as picking fruit, applying pesticides on crops, operating machinery and slaughtering livestock. About two-thirds of U.S. crop-farm workers are foreign-born, and 42% aren't legally authorized to work in the country, according to a Labor Department report.

Agriculture trade groups are lobbying the incoming administration for the expanded use of temporary work visas. Some farms and meatpackers are forging deeper ties with recruiters who can ensure a steady labor supply.

Unions and worker-advocacy organizations are trying to educate members about their legal rights and are developing response plans to use if immigration authorities raid workplaces. In addition to the undocumented workers, those with legal status are worried about being forced to leave the U.S.

Operators of meat plants and dairy farms have long grappled with the government over immigration policy in a bid to keep food supplies humming. They are now warning about changes in the law roiling an already tight labor market. Having a smaller pool of workers would likely prompt companies to raise wages, but that could result in higher food prices, executives said.

"Our members need consistent labor," said Julie Anna Potts, president of the Meat Institute, a trade group.

Trump has promised to crack down on people residing in the country illegally and tapped immigration hardliner Tom Homan to oversee policies as his "border czar." He has said his policies will make room for more American jobs and shut down migrant-trafficking networks that might harbor criminals.

The president-elect and his advisers are also working on plans to restrict forms of legal immigration, affecting the ability of businesses-and farms to hire foreign workers.