FRESNO, Calif. — President Donald Trump has decided to change his approach on the policy regarding immigration raids, particularly concerning farm workers, as he shared on Truth Social.
“Our dedicated farmers and professionals in the hotel and leisure sectors have been expressing that our highly stringent immigration policy is depriving them of skilled, long-term employees, and these positions are incredibly challenging to fill,” Trump stated. “…We need to support our farmers while ensuring that criminals are removed from the U.S. Changes will be made!”
According to the U.S. Agriculture Department, 42% of crop farmworkers from 2020 to 2022 lacked legal status.
California Governor Gavin Newsom attributed the shift to the voices of Californians being heard. “Continue with the momentum. Stay calm and peaceful. It’s proving effective,” he commented 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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