Farmers and voters in California’s Central Valley, the state’s agricultural heartland, are facing uncertainty over the potential impact of mass deportations under President-elect Donald Trump. Despite concerns about the agricultural workforce, this predominantly conservative region voted for Trump in November, standing out as a Republican stronghold in a largely Democratic state.
Undocumented immigrants make up nearly half of California’s agricultural labor force, and Trump’s campaign pledge to deport millions of illegal immigrants has sparked significant worry among industry leaders. Chris Reardon, vice president of policy advocacy at the California Farm Bureau Federation, warned, “To say it would have an impact on California would be an understatement.”
Dave Puglia, president and CEO of the Western Growers Association, told Politico that farmers are in a “wait-and-see mode” as they assess the potential effects of federal immigration policy changes. Recognizing the critical role immigrant labor plays in agriculture, Puglia is advocating for legislation that would establish a new temporary worker visa program for the industry and provide a pathway to citizenship for longtime undocumented farmworkers.
“Anything that happens needs to first do right by the workforce that is here, the current workforce that has been feeding us for decades,” said Antonio De Loera, communications director at the United Farm Workers, to Politico. “The main thing we’re doing across the organization is trying to just reassure workers and empower workers so that they’re not scared by this rhetoric into accepting working conditions that are dangerous.”
California’s Democrat-led government is expected to mount legal and political resistance to any large-scale deportation efforts. Meanwhile, organizations like the United Farm Workers vow to continue advocating for the rights of agricultural laborers.
Neither Puglia nor Reardon disclosed their presidential votes to Politico. However, their comments underscore the growing tension between Central Valley’s political leanings and the realities facing its economy, which relies heavily on immigrant labor.
As farmers and policymakers await clarity on Trump’s immigration policies, the region grapples with the challenge of balancing economic necessity with federal enforcement priorities.
