Ag Policy Blog

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Tuesday rejected the idea of "amnesty" for undocumented farmworkers and instead suggested farmers will find able-bodied employees from as many as 34 million Medicaid recipients who will now face tougher work requirements.

At a press conference to announce new measures to crack down on farmland sales to China, Rollins was asked about concerns over mass deportations and farmers. She was also asked if she had been hearing from conservatives suggesting that cutting back on farm raids amounts to amnesty for those workers.

"There's been a lot of noise in the last few days and a lot of questions about where the president stands and his vision for farm labor," Rollins said. "The first thing I'll say is the president has been unequivocal that there will be no amnesty, and I think that's very, very important. I and the rest of our cabinet certainly support that, effectuate that, and make sure that happens every single day."

Rollins added she had spoken with the president "once or twice" about farm labor. Rollins maintained President Donald Trump has said he wants Americans to fill those jobs.

"He has always been of the mindset that at the end of the day, the promise to America to ensure that we have a 100% American workforce stands, but we must be strategic in how we are implementing the mass deportation so as not to compromise our food supply," Rollins said. "Ultimately, the answer on this is automation, also some reform within the current governing structure, and then also when you think about the 34 million able-bodied adults in our Medicaid program. There are plenty of workers in America, but we just have to make sure we're not compromising today, especially in the context of everything we're thinking about right now."

About 40 million adults are on Medicaid, of which about 8%, or 5.6 million, are unemployed nationwide, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study of Medicaid released earlier this year.

There are about 2.9 million farmworkers nationally, of which Farmworker Justice estimates 70% are immigrants. USDA estimates about 40% of all farmworkers, or more than 1 million people, are in the country illegally.

Rollins added, "So, no amnesty under any circumstances. Mass deportations continue, but at a strategic and intentional way, as we move our workforce toward more automation and toward a 100% American workforce."

Ultimately, Rollins said Congress would have to fix the current immigration system.

Responding to another question on farm labor and the president, Rollins said Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is working on changes to the H-2A visa program for farmers. Rollins also again reiterated there would be no amnesty for undocumented farmworkers.

"She has been working around the clock with her team. I think we'll probably hear a little bit more about this. Little bit more about this today, and the conversations will continue, but I can't underscore enough there will be no amnesty. The mass deportations continue, but in a strategic way, and we move the workforce towards automation and 100% American participation, which, again, with 34 million people, able bodied adults on Medicaid. We should be able to do that fairly quickly."

Trump has said repeatedly since April he would like to find a way to keep current farmworkers without deporting them. He also has said the same about the hospitality industry. In a rally on July 3 in Iowa, Trump said Secretary Homeland Security Kristi Noem should ensure farmers are not losing workers to immigration raids. Rollins was in attendance at that event.

"We want them to help our farmers," Trump said. "I don't want to take people away from the farmers. We're going to do something. I think that's going to be good because we want all the criminals. Everybody agrees we're finding the criminals, the murderers, the drug dealers. We're getting them the hell out."

Trump acknowledged farm labor is challenging. "They bend over all day. We don't have too many people who can do that. They work very hard."

At the rally, Trump credited Rollins for bringing up the issue to him. "She said, 'Sir, we have a little problem. The Farmers are losing a lot of people,' and we figured out."

Trump said "serious, radical right people" may not be as happy with the idea of letting farmworkers remain in the country.

Trump signed the budget reconciliation bill on Friday that cuts Medicaid spending and tightens work requirements for people on that program as well as able-bodied adults without dependents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Also see, "Trump Takes a Victory Lap for Bill,"

https://www.dtnpf.com/… .

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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