[MONDAY MINUTE] Commonsense Immigration Policy Can SAVE American Farms & Lower Grocery Bills

It’s hardly a secret that American food companies rely heavily on undocumented immigrants for physical labor. Whether it’s the laborers who tend livestock and cultivate crops or workers behind the scenes in meatpacking and other agricultural production plants, our food system is powered by a cheap, willing and, often, undocumented workforce. Yet, intensified immigration enforcement, such as ICE raids, has triggered labor shortages across the food system. And before you think something silly to yourself like “great more opportunity available for native-born workers now,” really consider how many unemployed U.S. citizens (living in a city) would move to a rural area, perform backbreaking work daily, and take an almost 40% percent pay cut (compared to the average nonfarm wage)? Most Americans understand that farm laborers aren’t easy to replace. In fact, during the 2024 election cycle, 75% of registered voters believed undocumented immigrants mostly fill jobs US citizens don’t want to do. Nevertheless, this isn’t about offering amnesty to all undocumented immigrants, but I think our country needs commonsense immigration solutions…especially those focused on safeguarding critical industries that rely on migrant labor. And maybe it should begin with a clearer pathway for migrant farm workers to earn legal status…along with expanding access to the H-2A visa program for non-seasonal agricultural industries.