WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has proposed that farmers might be allowed to petition the federal government to retain certain undocumented workers if those workers temporarily leave the United States and return legally. This marks the administration’s most detailed statement to date on the status of undocumented farmworkers, who constitute approximately half of the agricultural workforce, amid broader deportation plans.
Speaking on April 10, President Trump indicated that with strong recommendations from farmers, specific workers could stay temporarily, exit, and later return through a legal process. Farm and food industry groups have expressed concerns that mass deportations could severely disrupt food production and related sectors such as dairy and meat processing. While Trump previously assured during his first term that agricultural workers would be exempt from deportations, he has made no such commitments in his current term.
In anticipation of policy changes, immigrant farmworkers have taken precautionary steps like assigning guardians for their children in case of detentions. The White House and Department of Agriculture have not yet provided further clarification or a timeline for policy implementation
