Key Takeaways
• Trump-era tariffs cost Washington apple growers over $500 million, impacting farm income and export markets significantly.
• Approximately 42% of U.S. crop laborers are undocumented, highlighting critical dependence on immigrant labor for Washington agriculture.
• Farmworkers face deep anxiety over family separation due to increased immigration enforcement and the threat of mass deportations.
Washington State’s farmers are facing a changed landscape when it comes to immigration and trade, with Trump’s immigration policies standing right at the center of growing tension and uncertainty. For those who plant and pick everything from apples to grapes, this isn’t abstract politics—it’s daily reality shaped by who is in the fields, what it costs to get crops to market, and who feels safe enough to come to work. As reported by VisaVerge.com, the mix of immigration enforcement worries and tariffs on exports has opened up real divisions between farm owners and farmworkers, while also raising questions about the future of Washington agriculture.
Farmers are weighing how Trump’s immigration policies might hit their labor force, with many still feeling the sting of Trump-era tariffs that cost growers huge amounts in lost income. Some owners believe the risk of large-scale deportations might not be as severe as feared, while others can’t ignore the worry it brings to the people who harvest their crops. For farmworkers—many of whom are undocumented or have family members without papers—the fear goes much deeper, tied directly to memories of past immigration crackdowns and real concern about families being pulled apart.
To truly understand what’s at stake, it’s helpful to look at the facts, the people, and the complicated ties between immigration, tariffs, and Washington’s farming economy.
Farm Owners: Worries About Workers, But Also About Markets
Many farm owners in Washington know their operations live and die based on steady hands in the field, but they’re also sharply focused on the money side of the business. For these owners—especially those growing crops that need lots of labor, like apples—Trump’s immigration policies bring mixed feelings.
On one hand, there’s the problem of keeping enough workers coming back each season. A steady workforce allows them to get crops off the tree, onto trucks, and into stores across the United States 🇺🇸 and around the world. But while some talk openly about the stress of possible labor shortages, others say that the threat of mass deportation feels more like a headline than something likely to happen soon.
One local farmer, Roylance, sums it up by saying, “I honestly don’t think they are going to deport families, bust in doors. As long as you’re a law-abiding citizen you’re gonna be OK.” That kind of confidence shows up often among farmers who haven’t yet seen large immigration raids in their own fields. For these owners, immigration policy feels mostly like a background worry, not an immediate crisis.
Yet at the same time, many farm owners are closely watching what happens with tariffs. The last time President Trump imposed new tariffs—taxes on goods sent out of the country—Washington apple growers alone lost over $500 million, according to the Northwest Horticultural Council. This staggering figure hit small and large farms across the state, creating financial stress that many say was worse than workforce worries caused by immigration enforcement.
Bill Shibley, an agricultural loan officer with Wheatland Bank in Pasco, works with farmers who grow everything from hay to cherries. He warns, “When we start having trade wars it will cause us some problems.” His point is simple: even as owners worry about having enough pickers in the fields, they also fear repeats of costly “trade wars” that put their crops behind new barriers overseas.
Tariffs: More Than Political Headlines—A Real Hit on Washington’s Bottom Line
The tariffs that President Trump put in place during his first term were meant to help American businesses by making foreign goods more expensive. But for Washington’s farm owners, especially those growing exports like apples, cherries, and grapes, the result was a sharp drop in income.
According to industry numbers, the last round of tariffs forced Washington apple growers to absorb more than $500 million in extra costs and lost sales. Export partners like China and Mexico placed taxes on U.S. farm goods in retaliation, making it harder for Washington farmers to sell their crops abroad. These kinds of losses make it hard for farmers to invest in their businesses, keep prices steady, or offer better wages to their workers.
Farmers often find themselves stuck between wanting to support policies they view as pro-business—something many saw in President Trump—and the downsides of policies like tariffs, which can take away more than they give. For Washington’s agricultural industry, the link between tariffs and financial pain is not just theory—it’s what happened in recent years.
Farmworkers: Facing Fear That Goes Far Beyond Pay
For Washington’s farmworkers—many with roots outside the United States 🇺🇸 and living in households with mixed immigration status—the debate over Trump’s immigration policies isn’t just about jobs. It’s about safety, family, and community.
In the Columbia Basin, one farmworker who asked to remain anonymous shared deep concern about possible immigration crackdowns. He remembered times in the late 1990s and early 2000s when immigration agents chased workers through fields: “screams and people running through fields,” he recalls. These memories shape the way he and others think about new enforcement promises—especially threats about mass raids or tougher action against undocumented residents.
The biggest fear many farmworkers talk about isn’t just losing a job. It’s the risk that families will be split up if parents are deported and children—many of them citizens—are left alone. As one worker put it, “Let’s say, for instance, if I get deported and my wife gets deported, then my kids are left alone with nobody. Because some of us don’t have no other family around. So that’s the biggest fear, that your family might get left alone.” The stress is real, day in and day out.
Estimates from the Migrant Policy Institute and the Washington State Office of Financial Management suggest there are over 300,000 undocumented residents in Washington. For many, working on farms is their best or only job option. Strict enforcement of Trump’s immigration policies could leave tens of thousands at risk, with impacts that would reach well beyond the fields.
The Reality of Farm Labor: Workers America Can’t Do Without
The scale of the farm labor challenge in Washington, and across the United States 🇺🇸, becomes clear with a few simple numbers:
- Between 2017 and 2022, the number of farms in the U.S. fell by about 7%, which means there are roughly 142,000 fewer farms today according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- Nearly two-thirds of crop workers in American fields are foreign-born.
- USDA data shows that about 42% of all crop laborers are undocumented.
These numbers don’t just show who is doing the work—they explain why farmers in Washington are so nervous about sudden changes to immigration law. Without seasonal and year-round farmworkers—many of whom lack immigration status—Washington’s multi-billion dollar fruit and vegetable sector could grind to a halt.
One farmworker with four decades of experience described it this way: “I’ve never seen a white person working alongside him…I’ve seen them driving tractors, I’ve seen them punching cards when you’re harvesting—which is different work. But picking berries or apples or any kind of fruit? Not yet.” This points to a simple truth: the backbone of Washington’s farm economy is built on immigrant labor, documented or otherwise.
Policies in Conflict: A Divided Opinion Among Farmers
There’s a twist in the way Washington’s farmers approach national politics, especially when it comes to President Trump’s immigration policies. Many supported Trump for reasons that had little or nothing to do with immigration. For instance, Western growers in states like California and Washington wanted better access to water—something Trump’s administration tried to deliver with new rules. Those same farmers, however, find themselves at odds with Trump’s approach to mass deportations and stricter enforcement.
Chris Reardon, who works with the California Farm Bureau Federation, put it simply when asked about mass deportations: “To say it would have an impact on California would be an understatement.” The same, many believe, would hold true for Washington. Farmworkers are just as essential in Washington as they are in California, especially when it comes to picking and packing crops that can’t wait.
Such divided feelings put farmers in a tough spot. On one side, they support policies they believe will give them access to natural resources and business-friendly changes. On the other, they depend deeply on a workforce that’s threatened by the very immigration policies they may vote for.
What’s Next? No Easy Solutions, Only Choices
The debate in Washington over Trump’s immigration policies and tariffs is unlikely to fade soon. Instead, experts and community leaders expect the issue to get more tense, as both sides dig in and the next election approaches.
- Owners face the possibility of another round of tariffs, which could shrink profits and threaten their ability to stay in business.
- Workers live with daily anxiety, knowing new enforcement could break families apart.
- With American farms already disappearing, more labor shortages or lost exports could push some operations out of business for good.
For farm owners who feel confident that talk of mass deportations is just that—talk—the numbers suggest they shouldn’t be so sure. With an estimated 300,000 undocumented residents in Washington and nearly half of all crop laborers lacking legal status, enforcement actions could shake every part of the food chain.
For workers, the risks are personal and close: every rumor or news story about a new crackdown makes it harder to go to work, care for children, and feel part of the community. No one wins if families are left divided or children are abandoned because parents have been deported.
Impact on the Wider Community
It’s not just farm owners and farmworkers who would feel the effects of these immigration and trade policies. Grocery shoppers, food companies, and even small-town businesses all have a stake in what happens next.
When tariffs push up costs or close off foreign markets, everyone pays—either in higher prices or in fewer local jobs. When immigration crackdowns drive away workers, crops can rot unpicked, and entire towns feel the loss. The health of Washington’s farming sector matters far beyond the edge of any one field.
Voices from the Ground: A Call for Real Solutions
The tension in Washington illustrates why easy answers don’t work. While some want to focus on law and order or bringing back lost jobs, the chain of cause and effect reaches into every home and business touched by the farm sector. Policies that ignore the reality of who works in the fields, or the impact of tariffs on market access, leave everyone worse off.
What’s next for Washington? Many farmers say they need real reform—policies that support legal work for those already here and keep markets open for exports. Workers want a path to safety, so they can do their jobs without fear.
As these debates go on, it’s essential to keep listening to the people who live it every day. The answers may not come quickly, but the choices will shape what ends up on dinner tables in Washington and well beyond.
For readers who are interested in the official government perspective on agricultural labor and immigration, more information can be found on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website, which provides resources on farming and crop labor statistics at https://www.nass.usda.gov/.
In summary, Trump’s immigration policies and tariffs have sparked real concerns and tough conversations among Washington farmers and farmworkers alike. Everyone in the state’s agricultural community is looking at what could happen next, knowing that the choices made in Washington, D.C., will have lasting effects on fields, families, and the food supply for years to come.
Learn Today
Tariffs → Government-imposed taxes on imported or exported goods, crucial in determining profitability for Washington farmers exporting produce abroad.
Undocumented Residents → Individuals living in the U.S. without legal immigration status, forming a significant share of Washington’s farm workforce.
Deportation → The legal removal of non-citizens from the United States; feared by many farmworkers due to family separation risks.
Migrant Policy Institute → A research organization providing data on immigration, including estimates of undocumented populations impacting Washington agriculture.
H-2A Program → A U.S. visa system allowing agricultural employers to hire temporary foreign workers when domestic labor supply is insufficient.
This Article in a Nutshell
Washington’s farmers navigate real uncertainty as Trump’s immigration policies and tariffs reshape labor markets and export profits. With over 300,000 undocumented residents crucial to crop harvests, both owners and workers face anxiety—about deportations, tight markets, and family unity. The agricultural community seeks practical, stable policy solutions for the future.
— By VisaVerge.com
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