Across America, ICE raids have become a big concern among locals as they see friends, colleagues, and family members being deported. The increase in raids has sent shockwaves through the agricultural sector, threatening the livelihoods of farm workers and the stability of the nation’s food supply.
In recent weeks, coordinated enforcement actions have swept through fields, dairies, and packing houses from California to Nebraska, resulting in the detention of dozens of workers and leaving farms critically understaffed.
Fear and Disruption in Rural Communities
Fear has completely taken over every aspect of people’s lives; children go to school worried their parents might be taken away, while adults avoid public spaces, shopping, or even going to the laundromat. The sudden loss of workers devastates local businesses and small shops that rely on a stable workforce and customer base.
“Everyone’s trying to give workers information on ‘know your rights,’ and also to be careful about where they’re going,” said Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Nisei Farmers League. “Yesterday I was told that workers aren’t going to come back to work today. We have crops now that have to be picked.”
The Scale of ICE Raids in Agriculture
ICE has reversed previous restrictions and now actively targets farms, food processing plants, and related businesses. Reports indicate that dozens of farmworkers have been detained in single-day operations, and in some counties, up to 45% of the workforce has stopped showing up for work out of fear.
While ICE officials claim they do not target any specific industry, the agricultural sector has felt the brunt of these operations, with thousands of worksite investigations nationwide and hundreds of arrests in the past year alone.
America’s Food System Depends on Immigrant Labor
While immigrants account for about 17% of all civilian workers, they represent 21% of those in the food supply chain. In certain agricultural sectors, their presence is even larger than you might think. In fact, an estimated 73% of U.S. crop farmworkers are immigrants, and nearly half of all hired crop workers lack legal work authorization. Without immigrant labor, many farms would struggle to operate as they are the backbone of the farm.
“When our workforce is afraid, fields go unharvested, packinghouses fall behind, and market supply chains, from local grocery stores to national retailers, are affected,” McGuire said. “This impacts every American who eats,” said Maureen McGuire, CEO of the county’s farm bureau. Despite persistent claims that immigrants take jobs from U.S.-born workers, farmers consistently report difficulty hiring Americans due to the physically demanding nature and low pay of agricultural jobs.
Crops Rotting in the Fields
With more and more people not showing up for work purely out of the fear of being deported, farms have reported having to leave fruit to wither on trees and vegetables to decay in the fields. Farmers in California and other major growing regions have reported eerily silent fields and packinghouses falling behind, with the ripple effects reaching grocery stores and national supply chains.
As the agricultural workforce shrinks, the risk of unharvested crops and food shortages becomes a pressing concern for producers and consumers nationwide.
Legal and Documented Workers Are Also Affected
These raids were supposed to help get dangerous people off the streets who worsen the effects of drug smuggling, trafficking, and other types of crimes. Instead, these raids have targeted innocent, hardworking people who help drive the country’s backbone. Reports from Kansas and California highlight that legal workers are increasingly reluctant to report for duty, worried about being mistakenly detained or caught up in the chaos of large-scale operations.
“Let us be clear: these raids are not about public safety,” said Congressman Salud Carbajal. “They are about stoking fear. These are not criminals being targeted. They are hardworking people and families who are an essential part of Ventura County. These men and women are the backbone of our farms, our fields, our construction and service industries, and our communities.”
The Human Cost and Family Separation
Across agricultural regions, parents and children live with the constant anxiety that a routine day at work or school could end in separation. This fear has become a reality for many. Reports from California’s Central Coast and New York reveal that families are left “on edge,” with parents terrified to leave home and children fearful that their loved ones may not return.
“The first thing that came to my mind is, who will stay with my kids?” said a strawberry worker in Ventura County. In some cases, U.S. citizen children and pregnant mothers have been detained and deported with little warning, often held without access to communication and denied access to legal counsel, leaving families isolated and traumatized.
Community and Political Backlash
With so much of the community being affected by these raids, it is no surprise that the community is speaking up. Protests have erupted in cities like Los Angeles, where public officials, including Mayor Karen Bass, have responded by imposing curfews to manage unrest and calling for greater protection of immigrant communities.
“It’s sort of like entrapment,” he said. “If you have a criminal and if you have a warrant, come in and get them. But why do this intimidation and wait outside the farm? Who’s going to run across the highway and get hit by a car or whatever? There’s no care about that, and to me, I think that’s wrong. If you want the criminal, go get the warrant, go in and arrest them, and leave.”
Food Prices on the Rise
The labor shortages caused by ICE raids are already translating into higher food prices for American consumers. With fewer workers available to harvest and process crops, supply dwindles while demand remains steady, pushing prices through the roof.
“These raids disrupt our food supply and contribute to higher food prices,” said Matt Teagarden, head of the Kansas Livestock Association. The ripple effect means not only fresh fruits and vegetables but also dairy and meat products could become more expensive, impacting families across the nation.
ICE’s Justification and Policy Shifts
Despite a brief pause and internal debate over exempting farms and hospitality worksites from enforcement, the Trump administration quickly reversed course, instructing agents to continue raids in these sectors.
“The president has been incredibly clear. There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts,” said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of public affairs for the Department of Homeland Security. “Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safe guard public safety, national security and economic stability. These operations target illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets and expose critical infrastructure to exploitation.”