Immigration

Eric Boehm | 10.8.2025 1:00 PM

The Trump administration's immigration crackdown is making it harder for American farms to find seasonal workers and putting the nation's food supply chain at risk.

But don't take my word for it. Ask the Trump administration itself.

In documents filed to the Federal Register earlier this month, the Department of Labor warned of a "current and imminent labor shortage" on American farms that "presents a sufficient risk of supply shock-induced food shortages." The shortage is being caused by the administration's crackdown on undocumented workers, "who previously cycled in and out of the U.S. through a porous border," but are now being kept out or choosing not to try to enter the country in the first place.

The loss of those temporary, undocumented workers could have a big impact on American farms. The Labor Department cites a study that found a 10 percent decline in the agricultural workforce would result in a 4.2 percent reduction in farm output and a 5.5 percent decline in farm revenue. "Given that approximately 42 percent........

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