Immigration and Customs Enforcement Activity Comes to Agricultural Operations

As you may have seen in the news, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity is in full force, including on agricultural operations. Back in January, we emailed our members some information and resources regarding ICE activity. We will be resending that information along with information for dealing with I-9 audits. Members, please keep an eye on your email inbox for a message from Betsy Binns or me.

Last week, a dairy in New Mexico was raided by ICE agents, where 11 arrests were made (see the story below). Our Western States Dairy Trade Association, a group of dairy producer

trade organizations which MPC actively participates in, was very proactive in sharing the details of this event. Thanks to them, we were able to get information to our legislative partners David Valadao and Jim Costa. I want to thank Representatives Valadao and Costa for taking this issue to the upper levels of the Trump Administration, highlighting the disruption this is causing to operations in farm country. President Trump appears to have heard these concerns, remarking yesterday, “Our farmers are being hurt badly, they have good workers that have worked for them for 20 years. They are not citizens, but turned out to be great. We will do something about that.”

The last several Congresses have punted on updating the federal H-2A visa program, the nation’s single agricultural visa program. Unfortunately, the program focuses only on seasonal or temporary needs for workers, excluding dairy farms with year-round needs from participation. The time for Congress to address this is now. We strongly urge Congress to enact this long-needed legislation to allow dairy farmers meaningful access to H-2A, and to provide current agricultural workers and their families with permanent legal status.

A window of opportunity exists now to get this legislation passed and signed. I hope Congress does what it takes to get the ball over the goal line this time. If they have to call it the big, beautiful immigration bill or the large, aesthetically pleasing H-2A reform act, so be it. Let’s get it done!