How farm work became the exception to Trump's border crackdown

Summary of How farm work became the exception to Trump's border crackdown

by NPR

33m•August 11, 2026
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Overview of NPR's Code Switch episode: How farm work became the exception to Trump's border crackdown

This NPR Code Switch episode explores a major contradiction in U.S. immigration policy: while the Trump administration has aggressively tightened border enforcement and expanded deportations, farm labor has become a notable exception. The reason is simple but politically messy: American agriculture depends heavily on immigrant labor, especially undocumented workers and seasonal visa workers, to keep fruits and vegetables flowing into grocery stores.

The conversation, led by Gene Demby and B.A. Parker with NPR homeland security correspondent Ximena Bustillo (referred to as “Amanda” in parts of the transcript), focuses on the rapidly growing H-2A visa program, why farmers rely on it, and why it is criticized by both anti-immigration conservatives and labor advocates.

The core issue: farms need labor, but immigration policy is getting stricter

  • Agriculture in the U.S. is heavily dependent on immigrant labor.
  • Bustillo cites a conservative estimate that 60% of farm workers are undocumented.
  • As immigration enforcement has tightened, farms have struggled to find workers willing and able to do physically demanding seasonal labor.
  • The result: more growers are turning to the H-2A visa, the main legal pathway for temporary agricultural workers.

What the H-2A visa program does

Purpose and structure

  • The H-2A visa allows foreign workers to come to the U.S. for seasonal, temporary agricultural work.
  • It is tied to a specific employer, not just the industry.
  • It generally lasts less than a year, after which the worker must leave and reapply if they want to return.

How it works in practice

  • Employers must prove they could not find enough domestic workers first.
  • They must complete paperwork across several agencies, including:
    • Department of Labor
    • Department of Homeland Security / USCIS
    • State Department
  • Employers are also required to cover things like:
    • Transportation
    • Health care
    • Sometimes housing, though that has changed over time
  • Large farms often use labor contractors as intermediaries to recruit workers, often from Mexico and other countries.

Why H-2A use has exploded

  • H-2A usage has grown 500% since 2012.
  • The trend reflects broader changes in U.S. farm labor:
    • Border enforcement became much stricter after 9/11
    • Migration patterns changed
    • Farm workers became more settled rather than moving seasonally across states
  • Bustillo notes that the H-2A program is uncapped, unlike many other visa categories, which has allowed it to keep expanding.

Historical context: this did not start under Trump

  • The need for foreign farm labor goes back to World War II and the Bracero Program, a U.S.-Mexico labor agreement that brought Mexican workers to American farms.
  • Before border enforcement tightened, many workers moved seasonally through the U.S. farm system:
    • Arizona and California in spring
    • Oregon, Washington, and Idaho later in the year
  • After 9/11 and later crackdowns, that pattern became much harder to sustain.

Why everyone hates the program

The episode emphasizes that the H-2A program is unusual because it is criticized from multiple sides:

Anti-immigration conservatives

  • See it as a backdoor for immigration.
  • Fear workers may stay in the U.S. beyond the intended period.
  • Some oppose any legal pathway for immigrant labor, even temporary ones.

Labor advocates and unions

  • Argue it can suppress wages and displace workers already in the U.S.
  • Say it leaves workers vulnerable because legal status is tied to a single employer.
  • Point to high rates of labor violations and abuse.

Farmers

  • Depend on it, but say it is expensive and unreliable.
  • Many say they cannot operate without it.
  • Some growers have scaled back operations or even closed because labor costs and visa rules are too burdensome.

Worker vulnerability and exploitation

A major theme of the episode is how H-2A can trap workers in abusive conditions:

  • Because the visa is tied to the employer, workers may be afraid to complain about:
    • Pay problems
    • Unsafe housing
    • Lack of water or breaks
    • Other labor abuses
  • If they lose the job, they can lose the ability to stay in the country.
  • Labor advocates warn this creates conditions that can resemble modern-day slavery.
  • Bustillo notes that many workers may not know their rights, especially when labor contractors and cross-state work arrangements complicate things.

Farm labor, age, and changing demographics

  • The farm labor force is aging.
  • Many workers have been in the U.S. for years and have children, often U.S.-born children.
  • Younger generations often pursue other careers instead of continuing farm labor.
  • Some workers’ children still help in the fields, but many are moving into education and other professions.
  • This aging workforce increases pressure to bring in new labor from outside the U.S.

The political split inside the Republican Party

The episode highlights a major divide:

Hardline immigration Republicans

  • Want to reduce or eliminate visas and deport undocumented workers.

Rural and business-oriented Republicans

  • Understand that farms, construction, and hospitality depend on immigrant labor.
  • Want to keep these industries functioning.

This tension creates a political contradiction:

  • The administration may support mass deportation rhetoric,
  • but it also cannot easily afford to disrupt agriculture.

The Glenn Thompson proposal

The episode discusses Republican Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania, who introduced legislation related to H-2A.

  • Thompson argues that “92% of planted acres are in Republican districts, but 100% of people eat.”
  • His bill would broaden access to H-2A for some workers already in the U.S. without legal status.
  • It would not create a path to citizenship, but would allow some workers to enter the visa system if they can prove agricultural work history.
  • Conservatives might still call this “amnesty.”
  • Labor groups say it still doesn’t go far enough because it doesn’t provide real legal security.

Enforcement and raids under Trump

  • Bustillo says farm raids have been limited compared with other sectors.
  • There have been some enforcement actions in agricultural areas, including parts of California and upstate New York.
  • But agriculture has not been a primary target in the way some other immigrant-heavy sectors have been.
  • The administration appears cautious about fully disrupting food production.

The broader takeaway: food is political

The episode ends with a larger reflection:

  • Food access is not just a market issue; it is a political decision shaped by labor policy, immigration enforcement, climate, tariffs, and supply chains.
  • Americans often take year-round access to berries, lettuce, and other produce for granted.
  • Behind that convenience is a labor system built on precarious, often exploited workers.
  • The episode suggests that every grocery-store berry sits atop a complicated web of policy and power.

Key takeaways

  • H-2A is the main legal visa for temporary farm labor, and its use is surging.
  • Trump-era immigration enforcement has not eliminated the need for immigrant labor, especially in agriculture.
  • Farm workers are highly vulnerable because their legal status is tied to employers.
  • Both conservatives and labor advocates criticize H-2A, but for different reasons.
  • The U.S. food system depends on labor that immigration policy often seeks to restrict.

Notable insight

“You either import your food or you import your labor.”

That line captures the central contradiction of the episode: the U.S. wants cheap, abundant produce, but the work required to harvest it is increasingly difficult to secure under current immigration policy.