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Tony DiMare, a tomato farmer with operations in several states, voted for and supports President-elect Donald Trump but is now concerned about the incoming president's mass deportation plan and its impact on the agricultural workforce.
Newsweek has reached out to DiMare for comment via email on Friday.
Why It Matters
Trump heavily campaigned on stricter immigration, and one of his flagship policies— a mass deportation program— is expected to be rolled out soon after he takes office next week.
He has said the focus will be on individuals who have committed additional crimes, though he has also referenced figures of up to 11 million people, the estimated number of undocumented immigrants in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center.
Economists and lobbying groups have warned that Trump's mass deportation plan could be very costly and harm farm production by greatly impacting the labor pool.
DiMare, who operates 4,000 acres of tomato farms in Florida, Texas, and California, supports Trump's plans to stop illegal border crossings and deport migrants who have committed serious crimes. However, he told the Financial Post that the country still needs a workforce and that the mass deportation plan would strain an industry heavily reliant on labor.
Nearly half of agricultural workers in the U.S. are undocumented immigrants, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
What To Know
Several different industries and sectors have raised concerns about Trump's potential mass deportations, from human rights groups to farming and restaurant industry advocates.
The American Immigration Council predicts that the one-time mass removal policy could cost the U.S. at least $315 billion. The council suggests that long-term, deporting 1 million individuals annually would "average out to $88 billion annually, for a total cost of $967.9 billion over the course of more than a decade."
Specific to the farming industry, the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) suggests agricultural output will fall between $30 and $60 billion if the policy is carried out.
Undocumented immigrants make up close to 42 percent of agricultural workers in the country, according to the USDA. In states like California, a major agricultural producer, nearly 75 percent of workers are undocumented, according to the University of California-Merced Community and Labor Center.
Mass deportations could disrupt essential farm operations, creating significant challenges for American farmers who rely heavily on this workforce.
The U.S. already relies on other countries for vegetable and fruit imports, with agricultural imports increasing by 5.8 percent in the past decade, according to the USDA.
What People Are Saying
Tony DiMare, president of DiMare Fresh, told Financial Post on January 17: "We have to secure our borders south and north, but you have to have a workforce in this country...There's no doubt that is going to restrict and put pressure on farming and many other industries that rely on this workforce."
Jennifer Tilton Flood, a dairy farmer from Maine told Newsweek in a press call in November 2024: "Mass deportations could affect our entire dairy industry throughout the U.S... Speaking on behalf of farms like mine that are within the control of Customs and Border Protection due to our proximity to an international border, without due diligence there is a great chance for families to be broken apart. A lot of my team are raising Americans at home, and so it's tough. There is a lot of concern and there's a lot of panic."
Trump-Vance transition team spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Newsweek previously: "President Trump will enlist every federal power and coordinate with state authorities to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history while simultaneously lowering costs for families. The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, like deporting migrant criminals and restoring our economic greatness. He will deliver."
What Happens Next
Trump is set to take office Monday and is expected to quickly begin enacting and signing executive orders related to mass deportation policies.
Advocacy groups have told Newsweek they are preparing to challenge his orders in the courts, while also seeking to get support from lawmakers in Congress.
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About the writer
Mandy Taheri is a Newsweek reporter based in Brooklyn. She joined Newsweek as a reporter in 2024. You can get ... Read more