On fields across California, some farm supervisors are leaning on a new kind of leverage to keep workers quiet: the threat of deportation. Workers and advocates say intimidation has grown sharper in the wake of federal immigration crackdowns and headline-grabbing raids, leaving many farmworkers too afraid to complain about wage theft, skipped breaks or dangerous conditions. The result, they warn, is a deep chill in communities already grappling with high poverty and poor health.
Farmworkers who spoke to reporters described supervisors pointing out nearby Border Patrol or ICE vehicles or warning they will "call la migra" if anyone pushes back over pay or safety. Many workers walk off the job rather than risk detention, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Times gathered accounts from farmworkers across the Central Valley, Coachella and other agricultural hubs who said these threats spiked after a series of federal operations and arrests.
What the Data Shows
Research suggests just how precarious many farmworker households already are. The UC Merced Community and Labor Center’s 2022 Farmworker Health Study documented widespread hardship, including that more than half of surveyed farmworkers reported marginal, low or very low food security, nearly half lacked health insurance, and many said fear of retaliation kept them from filing complaints about their workplaces, according to the UC Merced Community and Labor Center.
Legal Protections For Workers
California law explicitly bans immigration-related retaliation. "Immigration-related threats in retaliation for exercising a right are unlawful," the Labor Commissioner’s Office states, and the agency says it will not ask workers who file complaints about their immigration status. Officials urge workers to document threats, gather any available evidence and file wage theft or retaliation claims. The Labor Commissioner’s Office also maintains outreach materials and runs a hotline to assist affected farmworkers.
Federal Enforcement Is Driving Fear
The federal backdrop has intensified the climate of fear. The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly described worksite enforcement as a "cornerstone" of its strategy, and the end of a temporary pause on workplace operations last summer cleared the way for immigration raids at farms and packinghouses to resume. CNN detailed the policy shift and its ripple effects across industries that depend heavily on immigrant labor.
On the ground, high profile operations have left communities rattled. A three day Border Patrol sweep in Kern County last January led to the detention of dozens of people and sent shock waves through the Central Valley, advocates told the Los Angeles Times. Other sweeps in Ventura and additional farming regions triggered hurried legal rights briefings as organizers and growers’ groups tried to respond.
How Employers Are Responding
Growers and farm industry groups have not landed in the same place. Some have warned that stepped up enforcement could derail harvests and tangle supply chains. Others say they are partnering with legal aid organizations to distribute information about workers’ rights, according to AP News. Workers and advocates counter that where supervisors resort to immigration threats, fear often outweighs any incentive to demand back pay or safer conditions.
What Workers Can Do
Advocates encourage workers to treat threats like any other potential labor violation and keep a paper trail. That means writing down what was said, when and by whom, tracking hours, noting coworkers who witnessed the incident, and saving any text messages or voicemails. They urge workers to report incidents to the Labor Commissioner’s Office, which operates a statewide hotline at 833 526 4636.
Community legal organizations such as TODEC, along with other state listed immigration legal service providers, can help workers prepare claims and secure representation. A statewide directory is available on the California Department of Social Services immigration services page from the California Department of Social Services.
