cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22437167

Summary

California farmers, many of whom supported Trump, face a potential crisis as his immigration policies threaten mass deportations of undocumented workers, who make up at least half of the state’s 162,000 farm labor force.

Deportations could devastate agriculture, leading to labor shortages, unharvested crops, and rising food prices.

Farmers hope for solutions such as workforce legalization or expanded H-2A guest worker programs, though these have been criticized for exploitation risks.

Historical parallels to programs like “Operation Wetback” and the bracero system highlight possible labor and human rights challenges ahead.

  • ceenote@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I miss the days when I believed “at least they’ll learn their lesson.”

    • octopus_inkOP
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      1 month ago

      Yeah they absolutely will not.

      And yet, farmers are not railing in protest. Many say they expect the president will support their workforce needs, either through a robust legalization program for workers already here or by leaving farms be and focusing enforcement elsewhere.

  • octopus_inkOP
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    1 month ago

    Farmers hope for solutions such as workforce legalization or expanded H-2A guest worker programs

    Good thing they voted for the candidate guaranteed to do neither of those things.

    Edit: Comments on the article are about what you’d expect. Bring popcorn.

    • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      As I said elsewhere, popcorn sales will be going through the roof.

      Lets see how long it takes him to take the first trillion out of the US economy. I expect him to succeed with this before next years Christmas.

      • octopus_inkOP
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        1 month ago

        Just like last time, the best outcome we can hope for is that those around him manage to desperately change his mind or blunt the effectiveness of his plans.

        Then of course people will say “Look Trump wasn’t as bad as you said he’d be.” 😬

        • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          I will be overjoyed if I can ever say trump wasn’t as bad as I expected him to be. But so far he’s always managed to be worse, despite my very low expectations.

        • Feathercrown@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Yeah, it’s for that reason why I think blunting his badness isn’t the best outcome. People need to learn, stop saving them from themselves.

  • UnculturedSwine@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    They’re past the “fuck around” phase and nearly into the “finding out” phase. I’m honestly emotionally dead at this point. I’m just not capable of caring anymore.

  • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    So they’re openly acknowledging that they’re employing illegal immigrants. Employment of illegal immigrants is the number one motivator for immigrants to come here without documentation. These people are the entire cause of the problem that they complain so loudly about. They rage against the issue that they cause when it’s time to elect a president, vote against the guy who proposed we support the immigrants, and now want the guy who said he’ll deport all of them to adopt the policies of the guy they voted against. Can we deport these people instead?

    • octopus_inkOP
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      1 month ago

      Right there with you.

      I don’t understand how we tolerate these Employers who:

      • Insist on paying people no more than a slave wage rather than what the market requires for the work they want done
      • Vote for politicians who will make those peoples’ lives (even more) miserable and try to get them out of the country
      • Violate our labor laws 24x7 but have the audacity to complain about undocumented immigrants

      And frankly, the first bullet point above should be enough to land these farms in legal consequences.

      • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        And in doing so they actively hurt the job market for every documented immigrant and every citizen. They don’t pass their savings onto consumers, they pocket it. They’re leeches. Their affect on literally everyone is net negative. Lock them up!

  • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    If this leads to an accepted path to legal immigration only because it came from red voters then I’m fine with it.