Liberal Forum

Blackvegetable » Yesterday, 9:10 pm » wrote: ↑

Yesterday, 9:10 pm

Roughly Half of Hired Crop Farmworkers Lack Legal Immigration Status

The share of hired crop farmworkers who were not legally authorized to work in the United States grew from roughly 14 percent in 1989–91 to almost 55 percent in 1999–2001; in recent years it has declined to about 40 percent. In 2020–22, 32 percent of crop farmworkers were U.S. born, 7 percent were immigrants who had obtained U.S. citizenship, 19 percent were other authorized immigrants (primarily permanent residents or green-card holders), and the remaining 42 percent held no work authorization. The share of workers who are U.S. born is highest in the Midwest, while the share who are unauthorized is highest in California.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-eco ... alifornia.

The devil is always in the details. "Hired" "Crop" farm workers is one niche in the agricultural food chain. More than 70% of ALL ag workers are US natives - this, according to your own source, which I accept as solid. Another big chunk are H2A or other visa workers, according to that same source. But your point is made. A far larger number of farm workers is undocumented than I had believed to be so. I stand corrected

That said, California is the big driver - I know not why. Obviously, Cali is a big ag state (59 BIL), and the bigger the state, the more of a driver it will be. But I'm talking PERCENTAGES here. Texas is also a big ag state (32 BIL), with only 14% of their farm workers undocumented - contrasted with 50% of California's. So it smells political at some level. Perhaps you can explain why a red state like texas has 14% illegals and a blue state like cali has 50%. I can't.