Florida growers troubled by Trump's impact on foreign labor
Trump ran hard on stopping illegal immigration and deporting undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S.; platforms that many attribute as key to his Nov. 8 presidential election.
Since winning the general election Trump has been quieter on his stance on immigration but this is leaving growers troubled as to what to expect for the future.
"The honest answer is: How do I know? We don't know what he will do," said Mike Carlton, director of labor relations at the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association in Maitland, which represents most of the state's growers. "We certainly have concerns, but there are a lot of ways it could go."
If Trump does pursue an aggressive deportation policy, Florida's strawberry and tomato growers would stand to lose the most because undocumented workers still pick most of those crops, Carlton said.
"Who knows, but if they (Trump officials) take the high road, there's an opportunity for a better understanding of the immigration system and that a reliable, stable workforce is essential to the fruit-and-vegetable industry," said Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, the industry's political representative. "Every year, we cross our fingers and hold our breath that we'll have an adequate supply of labor."
source: newschief.com
