Minnesota agriculture leaders are sounding the alarm as expanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity moves beyond cities and into rural communities, triggering labor shortages, economic instability, and growing fear across the state’s food system.
During a press conference at the Minnesota State Capitol, state lawmakers, farm advocates, and agriculture officials warned that stepped-up enforcement is already disrupting farms, food processors, and rural businesses. The concern, they said, is no longer theoretical. The impact is happening now.
State Sen. Aric Putnam, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the issue has quickly escalated into an economic crisis for farmers who rely on immigrant and guest labor to keep operations running.
“This goes far beyond an immigration debate,” Putnam said. “We are seeing real, immediate consequences for agriculture and for the farmers who produce our food.”
Minnesota agriculture depends heavily on immigrant labor, including approximately 3,500 workers employed legally through the federal H-2A visa program. But according to Putnam and others, fear alone is enough to keep some workers from reporting to their jobs, even when they are in the country legally.
Sen. Rob Kupec said enforcement activity is no longer limited to urban areas. ICE agents, he noted, are now active across rural Minnesota, including farming regions where labor shortages can shut down operations overnight.
“A strong agricultural economy depends on immigrant and guest workers who are here legally,” Kupec said. “When those workers are afraid to leave their homes, entire communities feel the impact.”
Farm and food business closures are already being reported, according to Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish. He said union members across the state describe chaos, family trauma, and widespread anxiety among workers who fear detention despite having legal status.
“These are people who are doing everything right,” Wertish said. “And they’re afraid to go to work, afraid to go to lunch, afraid to step outside.”
Andrea Vaubel, deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, emphasized the deep integration of immigrant labor into the state’s food system. Agriculture and food production generate more than $105 billion in annual sales in Minnesota and support over 380,000 jobs.
“When labor disappears, costs rise,” Vaubel said. “Those costs don’t stop at the farm gate. They reach every grocery store and every household.”
Economists, she added, warn that labor shortages driven by fear could push food prices even higher at a time when consumers are already strained by inflation.
During the question-and-answer portion of the event, Putnam cited reports from rural communities where farmworkers are avoiding public spaces altogether because of ICE’s presence. He criticized the lack of coordination with local law enforcement, calling the tactics unnecessarily intimidating.
“This is about fear,” Putnam said. “That fear is destabilizing communities and harming our food supply.”
Wertish warned the situation could worsen as planting season approaches, when farms depend most heavily on a stable workforce.
If enforcement continues to expand without safeguards for legal workers, state leaders say the consequences will extend far beyond Minnesota, affecting food availability and prices nationwide.
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