Migrant workers in America are filled with fear to continue working yet find themselves reluctant to stay at home.
In the crack of dawn on a Tuesday morning, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents hounded farmworkers through a field in Oxnard, California. Witnesses captured the dramatic scene in a video from CNN affiliate KABC, displaying agents wrestling and apprehending workers amidst rows of produce.
A farmworker, her face veiled, told KABC in Spanish, "What I'm afraid of is that sometimes, out of necessity, we have to show up wherever there's work." With Trump's push to intensify deportations, ICE has been targeting work sites for immigration raids in recent weeks. This escalation has set off panic among businesses that rely on immigrant labor and the workers themselves, with some choosing to stay away due to fear. Industries such as agriculture, construction, health care, and hospitality are all powered by immigrant workers, both legal and undocumented [1][5].
"Recent immigration enforcement raids on businesses nationwide are causing serious difficulties for local economies, communities, and industries that depend on immigrant labor to operate and thrive," said Rebecca Shi, the CEO of American Business Immigration Coalition [2].
Undocumented immigrants make up 4-5% of the total US workforce, yet they represent 15-20% or more in industries like crop production, food processing, and construction [1]. United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero told CNN that she's been hearing concerns from farmworkers across California about ICE crackdowns in the state. There are 2.4 million farmworkers in the United States, according to the Economic Policy Institute, with 40% of them estimated to lack legal status [2].
Despite the risk of deportation, many migrant workers find themselves unable to stay away from work. "They're terrified, but they have a family to support. They have a rent to pay, they have children to take to school, buy clothing, and everything," Romero explained [2].
Trump appeared to acknowledge the impact of his immigration policies on farmers and businesses on Thursday. "Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, longtime workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace," he said on Truth Social [2].
However, some farm owners worry that the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants will impact the nation's ability to produce food [2]. "I can guarantee you that we're not going to have the workers that we need to do this work in agriculture," Romero warned. "The agriculture industry in this country is going to disappear" [2].
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass shared concerns about the chilling effect ICE raids are having on the city's workforce and economy. She's already heard reports of people refraining from going to work and store shelves becoming empty due to fear of being detained by ICE [3].
Mass workplace immigration raids were a priority during Trump's first term. At least 680 arrests were made during a 2019 raid on chicken processing plants in Mississippi [4]. The Biden administration ceased the practice, stating that employers exploited the raids to suppress workers from reporting labor violations [4].
With ICE ramping up sweeps again in recent weeks on industries heavily reliant on immigrant workers, the fear among migrant workers is palpable. Sites in Brownsville, Texas, Exeter, Pennsylvania, New Orleans, and even popular vacation spots like Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard have been affected [4].
ICE did not respond to CNN's request for information on the number of raids conducted under Trump's second term [4]. The fear of soft-target raids is causing undocumented migrants to adapt their behavior, with workers opting to avoid known gathering spots and take greater risks to evade detection [6].
For small businesses, detaining employees can have a significant impact [6]. For example, after a raid at an Omaha meat production plant, the plant was left running at about 30% capacity [6]. The restaurant industry employs 1 million undocumented workers, making up 10% of the total workforce [6]. Without these workers, it would be challenging for some restaurants to function. The reality is, as Andrew Rigie, the executive director of the not-for-profit NYC Hospitality Alliance, stated, "there clearly are not enough people in the United States who are authorized to work to fill all the available jobs" [6].
Arrests of migrant workers outside Home Depot have become a flashpoint for opponents of Trump's immigration crackdown [3]. Immigrants have traditionally gathered outside Home Depot and similar retailers in search of work [3]. Home Depot told CNN that they are not notified when immigration officials conduct sweeps, and they are not involved in the operations [3]. The retail chain has faced immigration arrests and protests since long before the recent incident.
- The escalation of immigration raids on work sites, as seen in industries like agriculture and construction, has sparked concerns among businesses and workers alike, with some industries heavily relying on immigrant labor, as suggested by the American Business Immigration Coalition's CEO, Rebecca Shi.
- Fearing the potential impact of ICE crackdowns on their livelihoods, undocumented migrant workers are adapting their behavior, such as opting to avoid known gathering spots and taking greater risks to evade detection, as reported in general news outlets.
