The National Young Farmers Coalition is led by, and centered on, the needs and priorities of the next generation of farmers in America.

We aim to be inclusive of all of our nation’s farmers and ranchers—that includes both owner-operators and all hired farm workers, farm managers, migrant workers, guest workers, and apprentices. We are all farmers.

Immigrants are critically important to agriculture in the United States. Current estimates indicate that over three-quarters of farm workers in the U.S. are foreign born, and nearly half are undocumented. In short, although immigrant farmers and ranchers may not be as visible, they are the majority of the agricultural workforce, and are vital to our agricultural economy and food system. But most importantly, it is essential that we uphold American values and ensure that the rights of immigrant farmers are protected, and that they have the opportunity to pursue good livelihoods for themselves and their families.

For these reasons, Congress and the President must fix our broken immigration system with a comprehensive reform package that protects all workers, provides a legal pathway to citizenship, and creates a guest worker program that ensures an adequate and highly-skilled agricultural workforce. We strongly and unequivocally oppose any immigration policies, actions, and orders that prioritize enforcement, deportation, and intimidation of undocumented families and communities of color. Such an approach is detrimental to the agricultural economy and puts the future of the U.S. food system at risk. More importantly, it violates basic human rights and compromises the core values of America, a nation built on the premise of inclusivity and refuge.

NYFC encourages its members and supporters to prepare for increased ICE enforcement activity by reviewing these documents from the National Immigration Law Center: “How to Be Prepared for an Immigration Raid” / “Como prepararse para una redada de inmigración”