USDA Labor Plan Sparks Farm Concern

By Scout Nelson

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced plans for widespread deportations of undocumented immigrants across the country, including in key farming areas. She stated that the goal is to create a workforce made up entirely of American citizens.

Rollins suggested that Medicaid work requirements might help address the labor shortage if migrant workers are removed. According to her, about 34 million able-bodied adults are enrolled in Medicaid, which she believes could serve as a potential labor pool.

However, many in the agriculture industry disagree with this idea. Doug Sombke, President of the South Dakota Farmers Union, strongly criticized the plan. He said that expecting Medicaid recipients to fill demanding farm jobs is unrealistic.

“It’s unrealistic. Just, I mean if anybody thinks that that’s the case, that we’re going to put these recipients of SNAP and Medicaid into the workforce, let’s be real. Especially in South Dakota, that just isn’t the case. We are not going to make that happen,” said Sombke. “It’s going to be devastation if that’s the case. I mean the level of unemployment that we have in the state is lowest it’s ever going to get. The reason is certain people, some people just don’t have the ability, whether it’s physical or mental. They just don’t have the capacity to do the work.”

Scott VanderWal, President of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, also questioned the idea. While he supports Medicaid work requirements in general, he expressed doubt that these workers could replace the critical role migrant labor plays in agriculture.

Farm leaders agree that agriculture relies heavily on skilled migrant workers for demanding tasks that few Americans are willing or able to do. They fear that deportations without a realistic labor replacement plan could severely harm the industry and rural economies.

As discussions continue, concerns remain about how farms will function without the workforce they depend on. The idea of replacing migrant labor with Medicaid recipients seems far from practical in the eyes of those directly involved in farming.

Photo Credit: usda