A new study from the American Farm Bureau Federation finds that Donald Trump’s mass deportation dragnet could cause the agricultural industry to lose tens of billions of dollars in economic output and raise food prices for all Americans, which would hit poorer families the hardest. Despite the fact that Trump’s whole canard has been “America First,” his anti-immigrant plans do anything but. Author and activist Julissa Arce, herself a formerly undocumented immigrant, explains:
Some farm workers are already starting to leave the country for fear of being deported. But, if farmers lost all access to undocumented workers it could cause agricultural output to plunge by $30 billion to $60 billion and it could force food prices higher by 5 percent to 7 percent, according to a study by the by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
A big lie used by anti-immigration supporters is that immigrants take jobs away from native-born Americans, but the numbers do not agree when it comes to farming. Even when farmers raise wages, many say they don't get more than a few Americans applying for their jobs. And, even when an American applies and accepts a job — many don't come back the second day. It's hard, back-breaking work and it's seasonal and migratory — something most Americans don't want to do.
Ask these California farmers, who increased hourly wages and added “401(k) plans, health insurance, subsidized housing and profit-sharing bonuses,” and still couldn’t attract significantly more U.S.-born workers. Across all farms, 71 percent of farm workers are immigrants, and about 50 percent (some say it goes as high at 70 percent) are undocumented. The fact of the matter is that immigrant hands feed America.
”Instead of wasting taxpayer's time and money with talks of a wall and a deportation force,” Arce continues, “our government should be focused on creating an immigration system that legalizes undocumented workers, and welcomes new, hardworking immigrants into our society and labor force.”
That’s exactly what should happen. Instead, this supposed businessman is intent on spending half a trillion dollars to locate, round up, and deport millions of hardworking immigrant families who contribute to their communities and are part of the fabric of this country. The price tag will be astounding, but the human costs will be downright devastating.