Democratic lawmakers are concerned that American farms will suffer under the president Donald Trump Mass deportation initiative
Nearly 40% of crop farm workers are not certified to work in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's National Survey of Farmworkers, and Democratic lawmakers are curious about who will step in to work in the heat or the cold.
As a result, senators questioned Trump's pick to lead the Agriculture Department, Brooke Rollins, over whether mass deportations under the Trump administration would undermine the agricultural workforce.
“Can we expect this administration to raid farms and go after migrant farmers?” he asked. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said during Rollins' confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on Thursday.
Committee Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“Listen, the president’s vision for secure borders and mass deportations on a significant scale is something I support,” Rollins said.
Rollins then promised to help Trump implement his agenda, while also “defending” American farmers and ranchers.
“But when you talk about mass deportation, we've outgrown the dangerous criminals,” Durbin said. “I just wonder if we should be giving fair warning to farmers and ranchers across America that if you have immigrant labor, you can expect federal agents to come and search your property.”
“I was not involved in the president's current plan, and I can't answer that one way or another,” Rollins said.
Trump promised to take a tough approach on border security and illegal immigration, and the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice on Tuesday giving the green light. – Rapid deportation of illegal immigrants.
Brooke Rollins attends a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee hearing on her nomination to be Secretary of Agriculture, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (Jacqueline Martin/AP)
Other Democratic senators, including Peter Welch of Vermont and Adam Schiff of California, echoed similar sentiments regarding the effects of mass farm deportations.
While lawmakers acknowledged that those who pose a threat to public safety should not remain in the United States, they also said Americans are less likely to work in the harsh conditions required by agriculture than are illegal immigrants.
Schiff said it was estimated that half of California's agricultural workforce was undocumented, and Rollins asked how farmers were supposed to survive if half their workforce was cut, because “Americans don't want to do this work,” because it's “too strenuous.” As a result, Schiff asked who would work on California farms.
Rollins said she will work with the committee and the Department of Labor on this matter.
“We will work together to understand and hopefully resolve some of these issues. Dairy cows need to be milked, but if we have a mass migration program in place, there is a lot of work to be done,” Rollins said.
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Brooke Rollins, US President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, testifies before a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 23, 2025. (Kylie Greenlee Bell/Reuters)
Lawmakers from both parties have also expressed concerns about how farmers will fare if Trump follows through on his plans to implement tariffs. Trump's economic plan calls for imposing customs duties ranging from 10% to 20% on all imported goods.
When the first Trump administration imposed tariffs, China issued its own retaliatory tariffs that cost the federal government billions of dollars in government aid to farmers.
“I fear this will come back to our farmers,” said Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.
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“My commitment is that there will be no sleep, and that we will work around the clock to ensure that our AG communities across this country are represented in those discussions and at the table,” Rollins said.
Rollins previously served as director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during Trump's first term. After working in the Trump administration, Rollins co-founded the premier American Policy Institute think tank.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for farm management, nutrition, forestry, food safety, rural development and agricultural research.
