Texas Farmers Face Harvest Crisis Amid Migrant Worker Shortages
Recent ICE raids in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley have caused a significant labor shortage for farmers, as workers fear arrest, regardless of legal status. This worker absence is severely impacting harvests, with one farmer reporting zero workers for a week, hindering even basic storm cleanup. The situation threatens the nation’s food supply, prompting the Trump administration to temporarily halt some agricultural arrests and consider an executive order to address the crisis. Farmers advocate for immigration reform, suggesting a program similar to the historical Bracero Program, to provide a legal and stable workforce.
John Q. Hosedrinker