 (Washington Post illustration; iStock) By Caitlin Dewey President-elect Donald Trump has promised a major crackdown on illegal immigration, triggering immense alarm among the country's 11 million undocumented people. But Trump's deportation promises, if fulfilled, would ripple far beyond the lives of illegal immigrants. Deportations would affect vast swaths of the economy — with a particularly dramatic impact on agriculture. As a result, Americans could see the cost of some fruits and vegetables soar. Undocumented workers account for 67 percent of people harvesting fruit, according to the Agriculture Department. They make up 61 percent of all employees on vegetable farms, and as many as half of all workers picking crops. Agricultural economists across the political spectrum say that there's no way that workforce could be raptured up without reverberations throughout the food system — think farm bankruptcies, labor shortages and an eventual contraction of the broader economy. And even if you're far from the agriculture industry, you could see $4 milk, low-quality oranges, and extortionately priced raspberries. The logic behind these dire predictions is pretty straightforward. Read the rest on Wonkblog.
Quote of the day "No, it-- it did not come up... nor was there any I would say deal. There was no quid pro quo." -- United Technologies chief executive Greg Hayes on whether the firm's military contracts were an issue in negotiations with Donald Trump over the Carrier plant in Indianapolis. Max Ehrenfreund has more. | 
Twitter
Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment