With a new administration promising the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, many are anxious about what that could mean for the ag industry, where it’s estimated that 40 percent of their workforce is undocumented.
Pam Lewison, Ag Director at the Washington Policy Center, says there are ways to address both immigration and the need for labor.
“I think one of those things that we can do is to look at how we treat the visa process and how we treat people who contributed to this country. I think there are things in place that offer that, and we just need to figure out how to better navigate those things.”
The value of our workforce, Lewison says, needs to be acknowledged.
“Whether that’s recognizing that we have a workforce that exists and does a remarkable thing and often sort of hides in the shadows because of fear of deportation. And how do we acknowledge the longstanding work they’ve done while being cognizant of the fact that they are here without a visa.”
As for the undocumented, Lewison says.
“We need to be honest about what that means. They’ve broken the law. But they have also been contributing members of American society.”
For agriculture, Lewison says it would not be easy.
“I don’t know about you, but I don’t know a whole lot of people who are rushing to work on farms.”