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The Department of Labor recently issued a document in the Federal Register addressing the agency’s need for workers in the agricultural and food production fields. The agency has admitted that the Trump administration’s heightened immigration enforcement efforts “could further reduce the supply of agricultural labor.”
How Immigration Crackdown Drives DOL’s Need for Workers
Up to 40 percent of farm workers are undocumented. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been conducting raids on farms across the United States, and the DOL is now warning that the near total halting of the inflow of undocumented immigrants is threatening the stability of domestic food production in the United States. Because there is also a lack of an available legal workforce to replace these farm and food production workers, the agency is concerned about significant disruptions to the U.S. agricultural industry.
Thousands of undocumented immigrants have either been deported or have left the U.S. on their own. Although the Trump administration’s stated goal is to prioritize American workers, the DOL has finally confirmed that these workers are not stepping up to fill the open agricultural positions. To address their need for U.S. workers, the DOL is seeking to recalculate the Adverse Effect Wage Rule and increase wages in the agricultural field. The agency hopes that this will make agricultural work more appealing to these workers.
Impact of a Worker Shortage on the Food Industry
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the farming and food supply industries has drastically affected food production in the United States, as farms scramble for workers to harvest their crops. Research institutions have estimated that the agricultural sector has already seen billions of dollars in crop losses in 2025. So far, some examples of the fallout from this shortage include:
- Higher food costs
- Higher production costs
- Loss of valuable crops
- Reduced produce supply in supermarkets
California, Florida, and Texas are three states that have been severely impacted by the labor shortage in the farming industry. Mass deportation campaigns and expanded ICE raids in these and other states have triggered severe economic and labor consequences across the U.S. Now, the DOL must take more urgent action to find the workers they need, or the threat to the U.S. food supply will grow as the Trump administration continues to increase enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws.
If you have been affected by the crackdown in the agricultural industry, or if you have questions regarding another immigration matter, contact U.S. Immigration Law Counsel for a strategy session to discuss your case.
