### The Crucial Role of Undocumented Immigrants in California’s Agricultural Juggernaut

Driving through California's Salinas or Central Valleys reveals signs celebrating each town's specialty crop – strawberries in Watsonville, garlic in Gilroy, pistachios in Avenal, and almonds in Ripon. The Golden State cultivates over 400 types of commodities, accounting for a third of the vegetables and three-quarters of the fruits and nuts produced in the United States. Behind this agricultural bounty are immigrant farm workers, many of whom lack legal status.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), about half of the country's 2.4 million agricultural workers are undocumented. However, farm worker advocates like Alexis Guild of Farmworker Justice, a Washington DC-based nonprofit, suggest the number is much higher in areas such as California, reaching up to 70% in some locales. Former President Donald Trump’s promise to launch the largest deportation effort in American history poses a significant threat to these workers and California's economy.

"Without undocumented immigrant labor, we wouldn't be able to sustain a food supply at the capacity that we have right now," said Ana Padilla from the Community and Labor Center at the University of California, Merced. The removal of these workers could have grievous consequences, not only for local communities but also for the national food supply.

Farm workers perform demanding and often hazardous labor, frequently underpaid and vulnerable to pesticide exposure and workplace injuries, without the benefit of federal overtime laws. Despite claims by Trump and his allies that undocumented immigrants are taking jobs from Black and Hispanic Americans, farm worker advocates emphasize that these roles are not sought after by U.S. citizens.

Edward Flores, a sociologist and faculty director at the Community and Labor Center, noted that California’s booming agricultural industry, comparable in size to Hollywood, owes much of its success to this labor force. In 2023, California’s agricultural exports amassed more than $24.7 billion, with the state being the leading or sole producer of numerous specialty crops.

"Proposed deportations would be absolutely devastating not just for immigrant households, but most American households," Flores stated. Mass deportations could disrupt the food supply chain and inflate prices of common groceries such as milk, wheat, and eggs. The United States might then have to import a higher percentage of its food, increasing price volatility.

A mass deportation initiative would also be extraordinarily costly, with the American Immigration Council estimating expenses upwards of $315 billion. Moreover, the threat of deportation is seen as a means to discourage labor organization among immigrant workers. Flores highlighted the contradiction in business owners supporting Trump’s deportation plans while employing undocumented workers, suggesting it could amplify employer control over labor.

During his tenure, Trump expedited H-2A visas for agricultural workers, though his allies have shown a tendency to oppose even lawful immigration pathways for farm laborers. Recent policies introduced by the Biden administration to protect and empower these workers face potential challenges from a future Trump administration.

Antonio De Loera-Brus of the United Farm Workers of America stressed the importance of continuing support and advocacy for farm workers. "Most undocumented farm workers in California and across the country have been here for at least 10 years," he said, acknowledging their resilience and commitment.

Farm workers, regardless of their immigration status, remain the backbone of America's food supply. "They don't care if the food they're picking is going to end up on a Democrat or Republican table," De Loera-Brus concluded. "They just want to be paid fairly and treated with dignity for their essential work, and then they want to go home safely to their families."