Dems ask Trump USDA pick who will do 'backbreaking' farming amid mass deportations
FOX NewsJAN 13
Economists Say Trump Deportation Plans Already Hurting Agriculture
Above: Farm workers pick leafy greens in the field in San Jacinto, Calif., before a Training Occupational Development Educating Communities (TODEC) "Know Your Rights" event on Nov. 19, 2024. Image copyright: Allen J. Schaben/Contributor/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Trump’s immigration crackdown will destabilize the agricultural industry by deporting its essential immigrant workforce. As farms struggle to replace these workers with American citizens, Trump will likely expand exploitative H-2 visa programs, creating a captive, low-wage labor force. This move benefits employers while perpetuating abuse and wage theft, destroying fair labor practices and undermining the industry.
Right narrative
Trump critics cherry-pick economic arguments to claim that mass deportations are inherently negative, focusing on the immediate labor shortages in agriculture while ignoring the broader economic implications. They often ignore how illegal immigration costs US taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars annually, and how Americans are losing jobs to cheaper illegal labor in non-agricultural industries, driving down wages and employment opportunities for citizens.