Labor Department warns mass deportations could raise domestic food prices

The Labor Department warned that mass deportations by the administration of President Donald Trump could result in higher food prices, not only because of a shrinking labor force, but also because of a decline in demand for fresh produce. In an interim rule published in the Federal Register on Oct. 2, the department wrote that thedecline in migrant labor "will exacerbate the already urgent mismatch in the agricultural labor market and deprive producers of a relatively cheaper source of labor on which they have come to rely economically."

Also, the department added: "Despite rising wages, there is no indication that unemployed or marginally attached U.S. workers are entering the agricultural labor force in meaningful numbers. Without swift action, agricultural employers will be unable to maintain operations, and the nation’s food supply will be at risk."

The interim rule also suggested that lthe threat will increase significantly unless the Department of Labor "acts immediately to provide a source of stable and lawful labor, this threat will grow." The department also proposed in its rule to reduce wages for temporary agricultural workers on H-2A visas, through which such workers are sponsored by producers to reside in the country for one year. However, several media outlets have revealed that with such visas workers lack bargaining rights and must even accept a minimum wage set by federal guidelines.