Many farmers across the country are losing their workforce because ICE keeps capturing and deporting the people who work at their farms. But guess who’s not filling these now-empty labor positions? The ones who voted for the unethical and wrongful removal of US immigrants, of course! That said, a cherry farmer in Oregon has told CNN that he’s lost around half of his mainly Latino workers due to ICE activity.
Now, there might be individuals who side with Republican Vice President Vance’s stance that this farmer should just use automation to solve their workforce needs. However, he firmly believes hand-picked cherries uphold the quality of his produce, and usually, typical Americans who aren’t from other countries do not want to accept labor positions on a farm. “You do not find people who are normally born here in the United States, unless they’re children of immigrants who are already doing this work, who want to work in this kind of industry…It just doesn’t exist,” he explains.
The cherry farmer further clarifies that he doesn’t deal in any “shady under-the-table stuff” and claims that all his workers over the years have legal documentation to work in his orchards. He adds that he’s built a rapport with his workforce and even good personal relationships with them. But now, the fear of ICE suddenly taking away their livelihood and their home keeps him from working any longer at his farm. As a result, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of produce will rot on his cherry trees.
After hearing about this news, many online users are worried that cases like this will cause prices of produce to shoot up further than they already have with inflation. “The biggest numbers. The best numbers. Numbers like no one has ever seen,” quips a commenter, mocking how President Trump would speak. “No worries, farmer bro. Tariffs will save you,” jokes another, sarcastically pointing out tariffs on top of this workforce situation will just make exponentially worse economic problems for the country. “Making farmers poor again,” laughs a third.
It’s an unfortunate lose-lose situation for everyone, the farmer and his former employees. But you know, it’s as one commenter puts it: “Don’t worry, the people whose jobs were stolen by the immigrants will be there soon.”
