IMMIGRATION OR ALIENAGE? HOW STATES CAN LEGISLATE TO PROTECT AGRICULTURAL WORKERS

Written by: Adam Hutchinson

Although the percentage of the American economy contributed to agriculture has declined in the past few decades, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that the agricultural sector generated more than $400 billion gross income in 2017. Similarly, the USDA’s Economic Research Services (ERS) estimates that American agriculture employs more than one million people annually. Of those one million agricultural workers, the ERS further estimates that more than 780,000 are foreign-born. While states whose economies are especially dependent on agriculture may be substantially interested in protecting their undocumented population from incarceration or deportation, every state should seek to ensure their non-residents are treated equitably.

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