Immigration Crackdowns Leave U.S. Farms Without Workers

Rural communities are reeling as aggressive immigration enforcement decimates farm labor just as harvest season approaches.

Fields Left Unpicked as Workers Vanish

In California’s Ventura County, farmers report up to 70% of their workforce has vanished

following ICE raids in fields and greenhouses. “If 70% of your workforce doesn’t show up, 70% of your crop doesn’t get picked—and can go bad in one day,” said sixth-generation grower Lisa Tate. Nationwide, the agriculture industry faces a shortage of 155,000 workers, the greatest labor shortage in nearly a decade. 

Panic Spreads Among Farmworkers

These raids have instilled deep fear. Workers are losing hours, income—and effectively hiding at home to avoid discovery. As one undocumented farmworker in Ventura County put it, “We really feel like we’re being hunted like animals.” 

Price Pressures on the Horizon

An Oxford case study estimates that such enforcement has forced a 20–40% reduction in California’s agricultural workforce, culminating in $3–7 billion in crop losses and produce prices rising by 5–12%. 

Bottom Line

When farmworkers disappear—driven by raids and fear—fields remain unharvested, production stalls, and consumers face rising prices. These enforcement actions deliver a steep cost not just to farmers, but to local economies and food supply chains nationwide.