The administration of Donald Trump is scrambling to ease labour shortages on American farms after aggressive immigration raids sent shockwaves through the agricultural workforce.

New emergency rules that took effect in January expand the number of migrant labourers allowed under the H‑2A visa program while permitting lower wage rates for temporary farm workers. Officials say the move is designed to prevent severe labour shortages that could ripple through the US food supply.

But critics across the political spectrum say the policy exposes a contradiction at the heart of Trump’s immigration crackdown: deport workers with one hand, import cheaper replacements with the other.

Farm labour crisis deepens

US farms have long relied heavily on migrant labour. Analysts estimate roughly 40% of the agricultural workforce lacks legal work authorisation in the United States.

The administration’s deportation campaign and tighter border controls have intensified an already chronic shortage of workers. The U.S. Department of Labor warned that enforcement measures linked to Trump’s flagship immigration bill could remove another 225,000 farm workers from the labour pool.

Farmers say the consequences could be severe. Labour shortages risk cutting harvests, driving up production costs and pushing food prices higher for American consumers.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the rule change is meant to “open up the market” and help farmers who cannot find domestic workers willing to take physically demanding field jobs.

Backlash from unions and immigration hawks

The policy has drawn fire from labour groups, immigration hardliners and economists alike.

The union United Farm Workers has launched a lawsuit challenging the rules, arguing they slash pay and expand what it calls an exploitative guest worker system.

Researchers at the Economic Policy Institute estimate the changes could cut about $2bn from migrant workers’ wages while pushing down pay for US farm labourers by roughly $3bn.

Even restrictionist groups have criticised the move, accusing the administration of bowing to pressure from large agribusiness firms instead of forcing farms to modernise with mechanisation.

The political stakes are high. Rural farming regions are core Republican territory — but the industry they depend on increasingly runs on migrant labour the administration is trying to remove.

Trump wants more migrants on US farms after hitting them with raids

So they get them all out , then realise that they really need them ,

regards worgeordie

Make LEGAL visa for migrant workers easier to obtain. That's not rocket science. It's what Thailand does.

9 minutes ago, connda said:

Make LEGAL visa for migrant workers easier to obtain. That's not rocket science. It's what Thailand does.

Make everyone on benefits work in the fields.

Trump's brilliance.

The predictable/foreseeable adverse consequences of Trump's actions/plans!!

Arrogance and stupidity run the US from 1600 Penn Avenue.

Now to Iran - US boots on the ground, plane loads of US military returning home in body bags. I hope not, but the longer President Dump Trump is in the White House, the more likely this is what we shall be witnessing. How easy is it to take out an aircraft carrier?

Make all the criminals who received a pardon from Trump work the fields.....job done.

Woops. I could swear that Americans were willing to do the work that these immigrant laborers do so effectively, for little pay, in the hot sun on a daily basis. But I guess I was wrong again. I miscalculated yet again, woops. So there's a huge labor shortage in the US, but it's not my fault, it's Obama's fault, it's Clinton's fault, it had nothing to do with me or my policies. It never does. I really do believe that I'm too brilliant to make a mistake, after all I am the smartest man in the world.

18 hours ago, connda said:

Make LEGAL visa for migrant workers easier to obtain. That's not rocket science. It's what Thailand does.

The vast majority of conservatives on this forum have no understanding whatsoever of the American legal immigration system, and they have no idea how broken it is, and how outdated the quotas are. It is nearly impossible for an agricultural worker to get a visa to work legally in the US, and yet companies need millions of these workers in order to turn a profit. An American, simply are not willing to do that kind of work, as well as dishwashing, menial landscaping, slaughter house work, and so many other types of low-paying jobs. So just more incredibly dumb policy from the chief idiot.

The US immigration system is in drastic need of reform and you can't have an intelligent discussion about illegal immigration, unless you willing to talk about that, and unless you're well informed on this subject.

18 hours ago, bannork said:

The administration of Donald Trump is scrambling to ease labour shortages on American farms after aggressive immigration raids sent shockwaves through the agricultural workforce.

New emergency rules that took effect in January expand the number of migrant labourers allowed under the H‑2A visa program while permitting lower wage rates for temporary farm workers. Officials say the move is designed to prevent severe labour shortages that could ripple through the US food supply.

But critics across the political spectrum say the policy exposes a contradiction at the heart of Trump’s immigration crackdown: deport workers with one hand, import cheaper replacements with the other.

Farm labour crisis deepens

US farms have long relied heavily on migrant labour. Analysts estimate roughly 40% of the agricultural workforce lacks legal work authorisation in the United States.

The administration’s deportation campaign and tighter border controls have intensified an already chronic shortage of workers. The U.S. Department of Labor warned that enforcement measures linked to Trump’s flagship immigration bill could remove another 225,000 farm workers from the labour pool.

Farmers say the consequences could be severe. Labour shortages risk cutting harvests, driving up production costs and pushing food prices higher for American consumers.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the rule change is meant to “open up the market” and help farmers who cannot find domestic workers willing to take physically demanding field jobs.

Backlash from unions and immigration hawks

The policy has drawn fire from labour groups, immigration hardliners and economists alike.

The union United Farm Workers has launched a lawsuit challenging the rules, arguing they slash pay and expand what it calls an exploitative guest worker system.

Researchers at the Economic Policy Institute estimate the changes could cut about $2bn from migrant workers’ wages while pushing down pay for US farm labourers by roughly $3bn.

Even restrictionist groups have criticised the move, accusing the administration of bowing to pressure from large agribusiness firms instead of forcing farms to modernise with mechanisation.

The political stakes are high. Rural farming regions are core Republican territory — but the industry they depend on increasingly runs on migrant labour the administration is trying to remove.

Trump wants more migrants on US farms after hitting them with raids

We have demonized you in every regard, we have raided your homes, with masked gunman terrorizing your families, stormed your factories, kicked you out of the country, locked you up in prison, and humiliated you in every manner possible, even though you were hardworking, and honest, paid taxes, paid into Social Security, and benefited America on countless levels. And now we ask that you come back, because America is the greatest country in the world, so why wouldn't you want to come back?

We have demonized our allies, criticized them, humiliated them, insulted them, and now that we have distanced ourselves from them and made every attempt possible to destroy those valuable alliances which we spent 80 years building, we now want the same allies to help us in the Strait of Hormuz, because it's totally out of control, the US Navy won't and can't handle it, and we have completely blown this forever war on every level.

Please, pretty please, could you come and help us now? Please try to ignore the fact that we didn't consult with any of you on this war and the fact that we made no effort whatsoever to build a coalition, and please ignore all the insults we've slung in your direction for the last year or so.

We are truly the greatest nation on earth and you should be pleased to come to our aid now, after all this country is being led by the smartest, greatest, most handsome, and most visionary man in the world. Help Saint Donald.