The Pros And Cons Of Immigration

Sustainable, organic, biodynamic. Immigration? Today the buzz word when talking about American agriculture is immigration. Immigration continues to be at the forefront of topics because of the current administration’s push for immigration reform. The Trump administration needs to be careful that the policy change they propel in regards to immigration are appropriate and well conceived. The president has already put into action plans to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and he has said that, ‘without reforms, illegal immigration and chain migration, which severely and unfairly burden American workers and taxpayers, will continue without end.’ Immigration reform is needed however it has to be thoughtful proactive and beneficial, if not frail immigration reform may lead to long lasting and possibly irreversible effects on the U.S. food supply and have negative effects on food security. …show more content…
This number is so high because typically, American born workers do not view farm work as a viable source of employment; the wages are low and many Americans cannot see the benefits of working seasonally, even if full time. Tactless immigration reform will drastically reduce the number of available workers. Reduced workforce may result in a shortage of domestic food supply, decreased crop variability and increased prices. If there is a noticeable decrease in available workers cause by mass deportation or restrictive immigration policy production would decrease and prices will increase. The economic benefits of producing our own food will be deleted. It may be uncomfortable to think about, but the American agricultural system is reliant on the exploitation of its labor force, workers that are legal and