Across Florida’s agricultural belt, a climate of fear is gripping farms, nurseries, and packing houses as intensified immigration enforcement and the threat of ICE raids are disrupting labor flows. Many farm jobs depend on foreign workers, often under the H-2A visa program; however, even legally employed workers are hesitant to show up out of fear.
In Plant City, a hub for vegetables, farm operators say nearly their entire workforce holds H-2A visas. Yet fewer workers are applying this season, citing worry over workplace enforcement. One farmer told Fox 13 that even his staff, who have valid documents, are “freaked out” when law enforcement shows up.…