On this morning’s 10am edition of Your Call’s Media Roundtable, I’ll be hosting a discussion of the coverage of the recent presidential elections in Guatemala. Alejandro Giammattei, a right-wing former prison chief, won the election with nearly 60% of the vote, with implications for immigration to the U.S. from that country.
We’ll also talk about the impacts of a new federal regulation that would make it easier for the U.S. government to deny entry or green cards to immigrants based on their use of social services. Guests include:
- Sandra Cuffe, freelance journalist based in Guatemala
- Arthur Delaney, reporter with the HuffPost covering politics and the economy
- Obed Manuel, reporter for the Dallas Morning News covering immigration and Latino issues
You can stream it live at 10am today or listen to 91.7 FM in San Francisco. Call 866-798-TALK with questions or comments!
We need productive farms in California to provide local food, help the economy in one of the poorest regions in the country, and as a buffer against continued sprawl. So it’s both environmentally and politically significant that the president of the California Farm Bureau Federation, Paul Wenger, penned an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle complaining about labor shortages:
On my farm near Modesto, where I grow almonds and walnuts, I’ve had trouble hiring enough people to tend and harvest my crops. And I’m far from alone: Around California, farmers and ranchers report chronic problems in finding and hiring qualified and willing people to work in agriculture.
The California Farm Bureau Federation — a membership association representing farmers and ranchers — conducted an informal survey of our members. It showed more than half of responding farmers experienced employee shortages during the past year. The figure was higher among farmers who employ people on a seasonal basis — 69 percent of those farmers reported shortages.
Wenger goes on to describe how farmers have offered higher wages, benefits and more year-round jobs. But because farmers depend on an immigrant workforce, these businesses have been hit hard by the federal crackdown on immigration, now intensified under Trump, as well as increasing living standards and lower birthrates in Mexico.
Yet many in this industry, which is generally very Republican, backed Trump in the last election. And their preferred candidate’s policies and rhetoric now appear to be hurting their business:
We’ve been asked many times if the Trump administration’s immigration policies contribute to the shortages. We’re not exactly sure at this point. Our survey results found that a number of farmers reported their employees are increasingly concerned about immigration enforcement and may be more reluctant to move from job to job. Although we’re not aware of any significant increase in enforcement activity on California farms, the atmosphere has certainly changed.
Successful farms are important to California’s way of life and to guard against sprawl. If continued economic pressure on them motivates more to sell out to developers and stop growing our food, we’ll all be worse off for it.
And for more on low-carbon agriculture and policies to encourage it, check out our Berkeley/UCLA Law report Room to Grow:
With the Trump Administration escalating deportations and expanding enforcement beyond serious criminals, how will these policies affect the San Francisco Bay Area — and beyond? What does it mean to be a sanctuary city? And what options are available for protecting residents?
To discuss these questions, I’ll be moderating a panel tonight at 7pm on City Visions, on local public radio KALW 91.7 FM San Francisco.
My guests will include:
- Sheryl Davis, Executive Director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission
- Grisel Ruiz, staff attorney in San Francisco with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center
- Sandy Valenciano, statewide coordinator for the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance
Tune in or stream live and call or email with your questions!
