Trump's immigration crackdown risks food shortages due to 93% drop in farmworkers, Labor Dept. warns.

The U.S. Labor Department has warned that President Trump’s strict immigration enforcement could trigger a food crisis due to a severe shortage of farmworkers, citing a 93% drop in undocumented labor. The department attributes the crisis to reduced border crossings and deportations, stating that American workers are not filling the gap, despite conflicting claims from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that the sector could become 100% American. A new rule on H-2A visa wages, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data, could cut farmworker pay by up to $2.46 billion annually and allow employers to charge workers for housing. Critics call the policy a “deport and replace” strategy that benefits agribusiness while harming both migrant and domestic workers. The Labor Department insists the changes are necessary to prevent supply disruptions.