【By Observer Net, Chen Sijia】After President Trump took office, he has continuously tightened tariff policies, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has launched operations against undocumented immigrants across the United States. However, recently, Trump claimed that if farmers are willing to provide "guarantees," undocumented immigrant workers can continue to stay in the United States.
However, Trump's statement caused outrage among some American migrant workers. According to a report by the British Guardian on July 14, American migrant workers and labor rights advocates believe that Trump's proposal is equivalent to making farm workers "hand over their freedom to employers." They accuse the Trump administration of promoting "slavery," saying many immigrants are "hunted like animals."
The U.S. agricultural production relies heavily on migrant labor. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about two-thirds of agricultural workers in the country are migrants, with more than 40% being undocumented laborers. The report states that after ICE conducted raids targeting undocumented immigrants, many undocumented agricultural workers have been hiding at home, causing them to lose working hours and income.
On July 3 local time, Trump attended a rally in Iowa and claimed that his government was drafting laws allowing some undocumented laborers to work on farms in the United States. Trump said: "Some people have worked on a farm for 14 to 15 years and then were kicked out. We cannot do that. We must cooperate with farmers, as well as with those who run hotels and leisure properties."
Trump said: "If a farmer is willing to guarantee these people in some way, I think we should accept it. That's enough, right?" However, he warned that if undocumented farm workers "do not do their jobs well," they would be "kicked out of the country."

Photo from the video of U.S. President Trump
Rosalinda Guillen, a farm worker and labor rights advocate from Washington State, criticized Trump's remarks, saying they amounted to promoting "slavery." She stated, "Allowing workers who are already in the country to stay, but requiring them to give up their dignity and freedom and hand these rights over to employers? If this is not slavery, I don't know what is."
Lázaro Álvarez, a member of the Central New York Workers Center, said, "Even Trump depends on the products produced by farm workers. He doesn't know who produces these products for him. They demonize us with the word 'criminal.' We don't have documents, but we pay taxes. Before paying taxes, the government doesn't see us, and we don't get any benefits."
Teresa Romero, president of the National Farm Worker Association, warned that ICE's raids could affect U.S. agricultural production, which may affect consumers.
Romero criticized, "Everything he does to detain these workers is unconstitutional. They have no court orders or judges' documents. They just want to cancel the protections that farm workers who have worked here for 20 to 30 years have received. Workers without crimes are taken away by faceless, uniformless, and unmarked vehicles, which is like being kidnapped."

July 10 local time, U.S. law enforcement officers clashed with protesters during a raid on a marijuana farm in California. Visual China
Last week, ICE raided a marijuana farm in Ventura County, California, and a farm worker fell from a building during the chaos and died. This raid also sparked protests in Ventura County, with hundreds of protesters clashing with U.S. law enforcement officers.
A local anonymous undocumented farm worker said, "We really feel like we're being hunted, like animals being hunted. You can't go to work peacefully anymore. We are under a lot of pressure, and our children are also under a lot of pressure. We worry about what we will do if this continues, because the rent here is very high, and it has a big impact on us. If this continues, how will we make a living?"
However, the Trump administration has not yet determined how to handle the issue of undocumented farm workers and remains indecisive. On July 8 local time, Trump changed his stance during a cabinet meeting, stating that the U.S. would not pardon undocumented immigrants working on U.S. farms. Trump said that large-scale deportation actions are still ongoing, but they should be carried out strategically to ensure that U.S. agriculture has the necessary workforce.
On August 8, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Lohse also stated that the Trump administration hopes that the U.S. labor force "will be 100%," "the final solution is automation, as well as reforming the existing governance structure. Also, there are 34 million healthy adults in the U.S. Medicaid program, and the U.S. has many workers."
Axios news website reported that the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Immigration Policy will work with U.S. farmers to help non-U.S. laborers obtain temporary work visas faster. However, a Trump administration official emphasized that the office will not help undocumented immigrants in the U.S. obtain visas, "This is not a pardon, and it will not provide a path to citizenship or residency for illegal entrants."
Axios news website pointed out that Trump's recent softening on the issue of farm workers has raised doubts within the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) faction, with some anti-immigration people worried that Trump might allow undocumented migrant workers to remain on U.S. farms.
Regarding the issue of farm workers, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded, "President Trump is an unwavering supporter of American farmers—they feed our families and make our country prosperous. He trusts farmers and is committed to ensuring they have the labor force needed to stay successful."
Bloomberg News analysis stated that there are more less demanding jobs available in the U.S., so few Americans are willing to work on farms. The employment rate of the U.S. prime working-age population (aged 25-54) has also reached near historic highs. If the Trump administration truly chooses to adopt a "zero tolerance" policy towards illegal immigrants and all non-U.S. farm workers, the short-term and even long-term consequences could be a collapse of U.S. agricultural production.
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