The US agricultural sector is urging President Donald Trump to exempt its workers from his mass deportation pledge. Approximately half of the country's 2 million farmworkers lack legal status. A large-scale deportation would disrupt food supply chains, driving up prices and harming the economy.
The sector supports the administration's focus on criminal aliens but fears repercussions for its workforce. The H-2A visa program provides a legal pathway for labor recruitment, but covers only 20% of agricultural workers.
Agricultural groups advocate for expanded legal pathways for farmworkers, seeking certainty and reliability to maintain food production. Mass deportations would cause chronic stress among farmworkers and compromise national food security.
Donald Trump has chosen Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, to be Agriculture Secretary. The nomination must be ratified by the U.S. Senate.
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