President Trump to issue executive order to protect farm workers

President Trump is taking a stand for farm workers who may be in the country illegally. He says he will be issuing an order soon aimed at keeping farm workers in the fields.

The President did not elaborate on what his order would entail, but it comes after several reports in California where ICE was taking illegal farm workers into custody. President Trump had previously suggested farm workers would be safe, but would need to return to their home countries first if they were here illegally. One California Representative welcomes the plan, saying farm workers are the backbone of the ag industry.

The message comes after immigration crackdowns elsewhere in the country. Earlier this week, ICE agents arrested 70 workers from a meatpacking plant in Omaha. The agency says this was the largest bust in Nebraska since the President’s crackdown began. Officials say that during the operation, several officers were assaulted by those being taken into custody.

Related Stories
The Trump Administration’s new rule limiting CDL renewals for immigrant truckers is seeing mixed reactions in agriculture. While some support the change, it is raising concerns about higher freight costs and impacts on U.S. grain export competitiveness.
The changing political climate in America is leading to a drop in migrant crossings near the U.S.-Mexico border, where ranchers like Dr. Mike Vickers say they witnessed horrors from death to child trafficking.
RFD NEWS correspondent Frank McCaffrey recently spoke with Dr. Mike Vickers, a South Texas rancher, who says illegal border crossings have dramatically declined in the last year.
Rural population growth and stabilizing economic indicators point to post-pandemic recovery, but uneven income, shifting industries, and regional divides remain key challenges for rural communities.
RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey speaks with Texas’s Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez about USMCA renegotiation and its impact on U.S.–Mexico agriculture trade.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that the move will save farmers and ranchers $2.5 billion each year. The group warns that new methods for calculating the adverse-effect wage rate would result in lower pay for foreign workers.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Mike Knotts with the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association joined us with the latest on storm impacts, power restoration, and safety considerations following the ice storm.
Brooks York with AgriSompo joined us with his outlook on crop insurance and risk management following the recent winter storm that tore through most of the United States, including the Midwest.
Placements and marketings beat expectations, but declining on-feed totals and feeder constraints keep the supply story supportive for cattle prices into 2026. Dr. Derrell Peel, with Oklahoma State University, joined us to break down cattle-on-feed numbers and provide his broader market outlook.
USDA Rural Development Director for Kentucky, Travis Burton, joined us to discuss the Princeton facility (formerly Porter Road Meats), now backed by the USDA, and its role in expanding domestic meat processing capacity.
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer joined us to break down the recent Fifth Circuit Court decision overturning a prior Tax Court decision on self-employment tax for limited partners, the ruling’s impact on farmers, and potential next steps in Congress.
Americans for Prosperity Arkansas Director Ryan Norris talks energy infrastructure, regulatory reform, and the role of critical minerals in supporting rural America.