Staff Reports
The echoes of the past often contain familiar tunes, and it appears that some farmers are taking a cue from the plantation grandees of yesteryear. In an almost theatrical display, a California farmer known as Joe Del Bosque recently warned that President Trump’s proposed mass deportation plan could threaten America’s food supply. This dire message, delivered in a video report aired by France 24, carries undertones reminiscent of the threats made by Southern politicians in the lead-up to the Civil War.
Del Bosque’s comments can best be summarized as: “Keep feeding our labor force, or face the consequence at the grocery store.” Just like the Southern aristocrats who boldly proclaimed that they could yield their influence without lifting a finger, Del Bosque seemed to draw a line in the sand. He argued, in marketing terms we’d call “spin,” that if farmers couldn’t hire undocumented workers, the nation’s access to fresh produce could be at risk. Translation? American consumers should brace themselves for a potential price hike if we don’t maintain the status quo.
While Del Bosque might not be hanging a “Welcome Back, Illegal Immigrants” banner across his fields, his implications were clear. The narrative he crafted seemed more like a call for unrestricted illegal labor than a genuine concern for the welfare of American citizens or the stability of agriculture. Instead of questioning the systemic reliance on cheap labor, he opted to wield economic intimidation as a shield.
It’s a wild world where 44 percent of agricultural workers being undocumented is discussed as a fact of life rather than a shameful dependence. Rather than reflect on how that dependency undermines American labor and contributions to the economy, the conversation turns to maintaining agricultural profits through continued reliance on illegal immigrants. The implication is a stark one: keep the cheap labor flowing, or consumers will pay dearly for it.
Farmer Warns Trump: Prepare for Fallout from Your Key Policy: There are sure to be bumps along this road, but will the end goal pay off? https://t.co/u2ZtdzkQrO pic.twitter.com/Rl9yHVHOcD
— The Western Journal (@WestJournalism) January 2, 2025
This trend doesn’t stop at the farmer’s market. The establishment media, clinging to narratives as old as Hammond’s cotton warnings, continues to pump out stories championing benefits for employers at the expense of American workers. With job numbers being adjusted downward after accounting for illegal labor, one economist even touted the changes as good news. How comforting for those who prioritize economic stats over the impact on everyday American working families!
Fortunately, the tide seems to be shifting. Trump’s recent election victory signalling a rejection of these tactics suggests that Americans have had enough of exploitation masked as economic necessity. The message from the electorate is clear: it’s time to take back communities, bolster American jobs, and stop allowing economic blackmail to dictate labor policies. The farmers may want to ponder the lesson that many before them have learned: underestimating the resolve of the American people is always a losing strategy.
