Immigrant farmworkers across the United States are scrambling to safeguard their families ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to carry out the "largest deportation in U.S. history." Legal aid groups report a surge in demand for services as workers prepare for the worst, including designating temporary guardians for their children, ensuring access to wages, and securing travel permissions for their families in case of deportation.
The U.S. agricultural sector heavily depends on immigrant labor, with the Department of Agriculture estimating that about half of hired farmworkers lack legal status. According to the federal agency, immigrants account for two-thirds of the nation's crop farmworkers, with two out of five lacking legal authorization to work in the country.
