skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Mark Carney wins new term as Canada's Prime Minister on anti-Trump platform; Without key funding, Alabama faces new barriers to college access; MS could face steep postal privatization costs under Trump-Musk plan; New Hampshire's rail trails ensure accessibility for all.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Major shifts in environmental protections, immigration enforcement, civil rights as Trump administration reshapes government priorities. Rural residents and advocates for LGBTQ youth say they're worried about losing services.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Migration to rural America increased for the fourth year, technological gaps handicap rural hospitals and erode patient care, and doctors are needed to keep the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians healthy and align with spiritual principles.

Farm workers rally as deportations threaten NC families, economy

play audio
Play

Friday, January 10, 2025   

Organizations supporting farm workers are ramping up efforts to protect immigrant laborers in light of looming mass-deportation threats.

About 40% of farm workers are not authorized to legally work in the United States, according to the Department of Agriculture. But Elizabeth Walle, communications director for the Food Chain Workers Alliance, said immigrants play critical roles in keeping North Carolina's grocery shelves stocked and local economies afloat.

She explained the possibility of large-scale immigration crackdowns has fueled anxiety among these workers, many of whom already endure harsh working conditions.

"Something that is a consistent problem for farm workers is, obviously, people using their status as a way to control them," she said. "Whether you are undocumented or if you are an H-2A visa temporary worker, that's really an ongoing theme that's obviously going to be ramped up."

About 100,000 farm workers call North Carolina home. Walle said these workers are essential, not only to the food system but the broader economy. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that in 2022, undocumented workers paid almost $700 million in North Carolina state and local taxes.

Beyond immigration threats, Walle cited growing concerns about potential rollbacks to labor protections. She said farm workers' advocates have long fought for safeguards against extreme heat and unsafe working conditions, but these gains are now at risk. She added that attacks on the National Labor Relations Board could weaken worker protections further.

"Definitely concerned about what's going to happen to the National Labor Relations Board," she said. "Elon Musk and other CEOs and corporations have been kind of attacking NLRB for the last couple years."

Walle noted some farmers are also voicing concern about potential disruptions to their workforce. She said she thinks increased reliance on H-2A visa workers to fill these gaps could heighten the risk of exploitation within the system. So, Walle said advocacy groups are trying to equip farm workers with the resources they need to navigate an uncertain future - such as legal or financial assistance.

"Focusing on stuff like 'Know your rights' trainings," she said, "which could be anything about how to deal with ICE, how to deal with your employer, how to prepare for being caught up in the immigration system. Also a lot of rapid response networks. "

North Carolina is home to almost 300,000 undocumented immigrants.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Unlike the for-profit carriers such as FedEx and UPS, the U.S. Postal Service has a universal service obligation, which means it has to provide affordable deliveries to all Americans, regardless of where they live or work. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have proposed privatizing the United States Postal Service by selling it off to a corporation such as FedEx or UP…


Health and Wellness

play sound

By Brett Kelman for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Arkansas News Service reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service Co…

Health and Wellness

play sound

A bill to make medical aid in dying permanently legal in California goes before the state Senate Judiciary Committee today. The End of Life Option …


The Bonneville Dam is located on the Columbia River near Cascade Locks, Oregon. (Martina/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A major player in the Northwest's energy landscape is considering changes in the future, as extreme climate events make power delivery in Oregon more …

Environment

play sound

A major player in the Northwest's energy landscape is considering changes in the future as extreme climate events make power delivery in Washington mo…

play sound

A bill to legalize cigar smoking in designated Montana barrooms has failed a third reading in the state House. Similar legislation is introduced most …

Social Issues

play sound

Tourism generates $3 billion annually in North Dakota but tribal officials say direct spending from visitors does not always reach their areas. Now…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021