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President Donald Trump has fulfilled his campaign pledge to increase deportations since taking office on January 20.
In order to get their opinions on the immigration crackdown and how they are helping their communities, ABC’s Kayna Whitworth spoke with dairy farmers in Tulare County and a farm workers’ rights organization in Kern County.
While some Americans support closing all illegal crossings, other groups advocate for a more measured approach to enforcing the law against groups of undocumented workers who are already in the country. Undocumented immigrants make up almost half of all farm workers in California.
One of the biggest dairy producers in the nation, Tulare County, is particularly affected because of its heavy reliance on migrant labor.
Peter de Jong, a farmer at a Tulare County dairy farm, told Whitworth that he is in favor of Trump’s immigration enforcement. But because of the anxiety in these communities, they are drawing attention to the issues they have and that their employees are bringing to them.
«There’s just them feeling and reading about it, hearing it on the radio and then asking us about it,» de Jong added.
Although he reaffirmed that his employees are starting work, de Jong and other farmers brought attention to a problem with the H2-A visa.
Foreign nationals may work temporarily in the United States in agricultural jobs, such as harvesting fruits or vegetables, under the H2-A visa.
De Jong stated that because his farm mainly depends on migrant labor, he is optimistic about systemic reforms.
They are not eligible to apply for such visa if they work in meatpacking, dairy, or animal husbandry throughout the year.
In the hopes that the Trump administration would pay attention and bring about change for their employees, farmers are contacting their local representatives.
Rights organizations for farm workers are raising the alarm about false information, claiming that it is frightening their workers.
People are staying home from work because they are afraid, even though they haven’t witnessed an ICE raid in a Central Valley field under the Trump administration.
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