President Donald Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders meant to jump-start his mass deportation policy but the policy may negatively affect migrant farmworkers in Virginia.

Nationwide, nearly half of agricultural workers are immigrants and more than a quarter of those workers are undocumented. More than 300,000 people work in Virginia's agricultural sector, many of whom are immigrants. Numbers are not available at the state level for how many workers are undocumented.

Manuel Gago Silcox, co-director of the Virginia-based Worker Justice Program at the Legal Aid Justice Center, said Trump's policies come during a slow period in agricultural production in the Commonwealth.

"We're still not seeing a big repercussion of this," Gago Silcox pointed out. "We will know about this when the season starts, like around May, April. We'll see how this plan will be affecting farms and crops, especially in the summer, the harvesting season, when it's more labor-intensive."

Overall, 42% of farmworkers do not have an authorization to work in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Gago Silcox expects applications for H2-A visas, a program for companies to hire foreign workers for agricultural jobs, to dramatically increase.

Gago Silcox added there is a lot of confusion in migrant farmworker communities about immigration raids potentially happening at workplaces. Many thought the raids were supposed to target criminals, instead of workers.

"It's at a workplace. They are people that are doing work. They are feeding their families, and they're feeding other families," Gago Silcox explained. "So they don't understand why these raids at the workplace, while people are trying to earn their basic needs, are taking place there. "

Gago Silcox noted groups are currently working to educate migrant workers about their rights and pass out red cards, which detail the constitutional rights of both citizens and noncitizens if they are approached by immigration officers.


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As the Appalachian Trail turns 100, conservation groups are sounding alarms over federal funding freezes and staff cuts.

The trail runs through the broader Appalachian region, including parts of southern Ohio and is a popular destination for thousands of Ohio hikers. Conservation groups warned recent layoffs at the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service could slow maintenance and repair work on the 2,200-mile trail.

Hawk Metheny, vice president of trail management for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, said Federal funds remain tied up in Congress, leaving local volunteers to carry the weight.

"We're carrying on. We've been here 100 years and we'll endure through this," Metheny emphasized. "It is the people's trail, the citizens' trail, so it's an all-hands effort."

More than 3 million people visit the Appalachian Trail each year. In Ohio, the outdoor recreation economy supports more than 125,000 jobs and brings in $11.8 billion annually, according to the Outdoor Industry Association.

Metheny noted recent extreme weather, such as flooding from Hurricane Helene, has damaged hundreds of trail miles. Volunteers have stepped in to relocate or reinforce affected areas but long-term stability requires federal support for land conservation and public access.

"It's an important resource for scenic values, recreational values, wildlife habitat, biodiversity protection," Metheny outlined. "The AT provides all those values across the entirety of the Appalachians from Georgia to Maine."

Several Ohio-based groups, including the Buckeye Trail Association, said public lands and trail systems provide vital health and tourism benefits. Events along the Appalachian Trail this summer aim to raise awareness and celebrate a century of stewardship and public access.

The dismantling of the 30-year-old AmeriCorps national service program by the Department of Government Efficiency will have significant effects in New Mexico.

Last year, AmeriCorps recruited more than 4,500 participants in the state to help meet local needs and strengthen communities. Program grants are administered by the Serve New Mexico Commission, working under the Department of Workforce Solutions.

Kristin Hsueh, executive director of the commission, said funding was eliminated for a planning grant and six of 10 operational programs, leaving only four still functioning.

"These program were offering services to the communities, everything from tutoring to after-school programming, mentorship, trail restoration," Hsueh outlined. "It's a significant cut, it's almost about two-thirds of our programs."

New Mexico has joined 24 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit suing over the Trump administration's cuts. The state's Attorney General said the action will hurt students, families and underserved communities. In New Mexico, a fourth of all AmeriCorps workers identify as Hispanic or Latino, the highest percentage in the nation.

Hsueh pointed out at least 84 AmeriCorps members in New Mexico were affected immediately, and 100 who were expected to participate this summer have been notified their positions have been defunded. She noted members and senior volunteers have previously served at more than 300 locations across the state.

"They are gaining a lot of experience," Hsueh observed. "They are serving something that's greater than themselves, which is really what AmeriCorps is all about, dedicating a portion of your life to make sure that you are improving the lives of others."

Initially known as Volunteers in Service to America or VISTA, AmeriCorps was created by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 and renamed under President Bill Clinton. Nationwide, more than 75,000 people work in service each year, with land trusts, schools, public agencies and community and faith-based groups. Funding made up less than 1% of the federal budget.


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Results of a new survey of nearly 900 small business owners across the country show they are concerned about an uncertain economy, including the owners of small mom and pop operations in Nebraska.

The survey, conducted by Small Business for America's Future, shows that nearly 70% of small business owners think the Trump administration fell short on economic leadership during its first 100 days.

They cited tariffs as a key factor in creating instability.

Gladys Harrison, owner of Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering in Omaha, said the tariffs will affect the cost of the imported seasonings she uses for her family's oven-fried chicken recipe.

"They're telling me," said Harrison, "that they could see a 25% to 145% increase with these tariffs in what they're going to charge me for my seasonings."

The Trump administration has said it is imposing tariffs in an effort to create more U.S.-based jobs and improve the domestic economy.

Harrison said she is thinking of ways to avoid closing her doors or passing the price increases on to her loyal customers, many of whom have been eating Big Mama's fried chicken for generations.

"And we don't want to have our food so expensive," said Harrison, "that the people who live and work in our community can't come and spend their money with us."

Harrison said higher costs will also hinder her ability to be involved in the community, a tradition she said her mother and grandmother taught her was critical to any small, family-owned business.




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