FRESNO, Calif. — President Donald Trump has announced a shift in his immigration raid approach concerning farm workers. He revealed on Truth Social that he is changing his stance.
“Our farmers and individuals in the hotel and leisure industry have been expressing concerns that our strict immigration policy is causing them to lose valuable and experienced workers, making it extremely challenging to find replacements,” Trump stated. He went on to say, “…We need to safeguard our farmers while also removing criminals from the country. Stay tuned for updates!”
According to the U.S. Agriculture Department, 42% of crop farmworkers from 2020 to 2022 lacked legal status.
Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, attributed this policy change to the voices of Californians being heard. He encouraged the continuation of peaceful expressions, highlighting its effectiveness by stating, “Keep the momentum. Stay peaceful. It’s making a difference,” as written on X.
In a post on social media, Newsom shared a story about a 12-year-old boy he met in Oxnard, California whose parents had been taken by agents. They had been working the fields for over 20 years.
“Donald Trump may not care about him, but he’s finally listening to you calling out these indiscriminate acts of cruelty,” Newsom said. “Let’s keep up the pressure, and let’s do it peacefully.”
Newsom added that he is watching the Trump administration closely and will hold the president to his word.
Trump’s decision to stop ICE raids on farmworkers comes just months after a federal judge in Central California barred Border Patrol agents from arresting someone suspected of living in the U.S. illegally unless they have a warrant or a reason to believe the person might flee before a warrant can be obtained.
That ruling came after Border Patrol agents carried out “Operation Return to Sender” in Central California. Officials say 78 people were detained in the January operation.
Earlier this week, ABC7 Los Angeles reported about an ICE raid targeting farmworkers in Ventura County.
Video posted online showed ICE agents chasing after some of the workers as they fled the fields. It is unclear how many people were detained during the operation.
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