Mass deportations will send prices soaring in Miami and elsewhere 

Graphic Credit // Joel Wainberg

ICE raids are sweeping the nation and targeting major cities, including Miami, following President Donald Trump taking office. After his inauguration, he immediately began working towards mass deportation plans, including shutting down the CBP One app, which helped migrants get appointments to enter the country legally. 

While Trump’s plan to deport all undocumented immigrants will negatively affect broad sections of the American economy, it will deal a devastating blow to the agricultural industry and lead to skyrocketing produce prices due to labor shortages.

Undocumented immigrants make up roughly half of all hired farm crop workers in the United States, according to the USDA. In the state of Florida specifically, it is estimated that undocumented immigrants make up 47% of all agricultural workers. 

These undocumented workers are the backbone of the industry, spending long hours picking crops. Even in years when South Florida faces record high temperatures, workers continue to show up to provide food for people all over the United States. 

Florida’s government estimates that agriculture has an economic impact on the state of more than 100 billion dollars. Florida’s agricultural products also have a significant impact across the country, with 54% of all fresh market tomatoes and 33-42% of all oranges, sweet corn, watermelons, bell peppers and grapefruits sold in the United States in 2023 coming from the Sunshine State, which exported more than 6.6 billion dollars worth of agriculture and related products that year. 

Not only will deporting immigrants cost billions of dollars, but losing half of the agricultural labor in Florida and the country could cause a 10% rise in produce prices, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics. 

As a result, mass deportations also undermine one of Trump’s foundational campaign priorities: lowering the cost of goods, including groceries. In an interview with NBC News, Trump said he won the election based on two things: the border and groceries. While he is cracking down on his border policies, his promises of lowering the cost of goods, including fresh produce, have gone nowhere so far. 

During his campaign, Trump outlined plans to reduce prices by increasing domestic energy production and improving supply chain efficiency. Since his election, Trump admitted during his Time magazine Person of the Year interview that he was uncertain about his ability to reduce costs, saying, “It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up.” Amid Trump’s uncertainty, prices are expected to continue rising due to the impact of tariffs on imported goods, compounded by the decline in the U.S. farm workforce. 

Although I recognize the need for a legal process to enter any country, I’ve witnessed people on social media and in my personal life using dehumanizing language towards immigrants, calling them terms like “illegal aliens” and labeling them as lazy and job stealers. These negative stereotypes ignore the reality that undocumented workers play an essential role in an industry that people rely on every day. Their agricultural contributions help keep the country’s economy running and provide essential goods to millions of Americans.

Our country is supposed to be the land of opportunity, but for the hundreds of thousands of undocumented field workers in the United States who feed millions, pay taxes and positively contribute to the economy, their efforts are still not recognized as enough.

Instead of deporting these essential members of our society, politicians should show empathy for those who lack their privilege. They should support pathways to citizenship, including granting more green cards and work visas, which would allow immigrants to continue contributing to the country rather than deporting those seeking a better life.