With Donald Trump’s inauguration just days away, immigrant farmworkers across the U.S. are bracing for his promise of mass deportations. Legal support groups say farmworkers are taking proactive steps, including assigning guardians for their children in case they are detained.
The surge in demand for these legal services is a clear sign of the anxiety sweeping through the immigrant community. Trump has vowed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, a move that could devastate the U.S. agricultural industry, which relies heavily on their labor.
Around half of the nation’s farmworkers are undocumented, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Farm trade groups warn that deporting these workers could halt food production in the country.
“People are already afraid, even before the administration takes office,” said Sarait Martinez, executive director of Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (CBDIO), an organization supporting indigenous Mexican farmworkers in California’s Central Valley.
Rising demand for legal assistance
Advocacy groups, including CBDIO, have seen a dramatic increase in requests for legal help. Some report a ten-fold jump in interest in their workshops, where they teach workers how to handle potential confrontations with immigration officials.
These workshops cover critical survival skills for undocumented farmworkers. They role-play scenarios where workers might be stopped by immigration agents and walk through how to prepare their families for possible deportation. This includes assigning temporary guardians to children, setting up an alternate person to pick up wages, and arranging travel documents for U.S.-born children.
Alfredo, a farmworker from Washington state, shared his concerns. He’s been attending these workshops to help fellow workers stay prepared. “We are definitely very concerned,” he said. “It’s hard to look forward to work when we fear being taken away from our families.”
Trump’s deportation plan
During his first term (2017-2021), Trump’s administration carried out raids at poultry plants and produce facilities across the U.S., focusing on undocumented workers. While the new administration says it will prioritize deportations of those posing national security threats, it hasn’t ruled out targeting undocumented farmworkers.
“President Trump will use every federal tool to implement the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, targeting illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers,” said Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for Trump’s transition team.
Impact on the farm industry
The agricultural sector is deeply concerned about the consequences of mass deportations. California, the nation’s largest food producer, grows a third of all U.S. vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts. The state’s farmworkers, about 400,000 in total, are essential to its food production.
But the labor force is heavily undocumented. According to the University of California-Merced Community and Labor Center, about 75% of California’s farmworkers lack legal status. Deportations would have a catastrophic effect on the state’s ability to feed the nation.
California’s Central Valley, a critical farming region, has limited access to legal services for farmworkers. Ivette Chaidez Villarreal, of Valley Voices, said the organization is expanding its immigration services in response to an overwhelming demand for legal advice. “Since the election, we’ve seen a huge increase in questions about immigration status,” Villarreal said. “We’re also working with others to create a rapid response network to help workers during raids.”
Legal services hard to access
Farmworkers often struggle to access legal help because they live in rural, isolated areas. Patricia Ortiz, immigration legal director at California Rural Legal Assistance, noted that these workers face unique challenges compared to others seeking legal aid.
“Farmworkers are in a more precarious position,” Ortiz said.
Families with U.S.-born children are especially worried. According to Pew Research Center, 4.4 million U.S.-born children live with at least one undocumented parent. Many farmworkers are concerned about being separated from their families if deported.
In California, many of the farmworkers Martinez’s group assists speak languages like Mixteco and Zapoteco, making it even more challenging to navigate immigration paperwork. They also need help obtaining passports for their U.S.-born children.
Expanding legal training across the country
The fear is not limited to California. In upstate New York, the Cornell Farmworker Program has seen a ten-fold increase in workshop participation since the election. “We’re working against the clock,” said program director Mary Jo Dudley.
The Cornell program now holds workshops daily, offering vital training for farmworkers on how to respond to immigration officers. The role-play exercises help them prepare for potential raids or street stops.
The fear is real. As Trump’s inauguration date nears, farmworkers are racing to prepare for the worst. With immigration laws about to tighten, these workers are doing everything they can to protect their families and their livelihoods.
