U.S. Authorities Intensify Raids on Farms, Impacting Business

• Immigration raids in California are causing concern among farmers due to labor shortages.
• Immigrants make up a significant portion of the workforce in agriculture, highlighting their importance to the U.S. economy.
• The fear of detentions is affecting worker productivity in various sectors, including restaurants and construction.

This is reported by Associated Press, CNN.

In Ventura, California, large-scale immigration raids on farms threaten businesses that supply food for the country. According to farming associations, dozens of workers have been arrested during the raids that began in early June 2025.

The fear in immigrant communities has intensified due to the increase in arrests, as the administration of President Donald Trump promises to ramp up immigration enforcement. According to Maureen McGuire, head of the Ventura County Farm Association, between 25% and 45% of workers are not showing up for work due to these raids.

The Importance of California Agriculture

California farms produce more than a third of the vegetables and over three-quarters of the fruits in the U.S. Although the state is predominantly controlled by Democrats, there are many Republican voters in farming areas who hope for Trump's support in addressing agricultural issues.

According to estimates from Ernie Hernandez, executive director of 805 UndocuFund, at least 43 individuals have been detained in the fields of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. There are concerns that the continuation of such measures will lead to a shortage of labor needed for harvesting crops.

Trump has acknowledged that tightening immigration enforcement could deprive farmers of labor, but he has not provided specific solutions. He noted that farmers claim their skilled workers are becoming unavailable due to these policies.

Workers' Fears

One worker, who wished to remain anonymous, shared that during a raid, his colleagues were detained, which caused him to fear for his family. "I didn't go to work on Wednesday out of fear, and my supervisors told me to stay home for another day," he added.

Meanwhile, immigration raids in other sectors are also impacting the economy. For example, in restaurants and construction, where immigrants make up a significant portion of the workforce, the intensification of raids is leading to decreased productivity.

The Significance of Immigrants to the Economy

Immigrants make up 4-5% of the total workforce in the U.S., but their share in agriculture can reach up to 20%. This underscores the importance of immigrants for the functioning of critically important sectors of the economy.

The mayor of Los Angeles reported instances where people are not going to work and store shelves remain empty due to fear of detention. This indicates that the immigrant community is vital to the economy of the city.

Теги: США