YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — Many Yuma farmworkers cross the border daily to work and help supply much of the nation’s leafy greens during the winter.

These workers are asking questions about their job security, as touted by President-elect Donald Trump. stricter immigration measures.

Rosa Acosta, a farm worker and work permit holder who lives in San Luis, Mexico, says she is waiting to see how things will change under the Trump administration.

“The majority of field workers here are undocumented,” Acosta said.

Although they are not U.S. citizens, many of them have work visas, such as H2-A or TN visasthat allow them to work legally in the United States

According to the US Department of Agriculturemore than 200,000 H2-A visas are issued each year to foreign seasonal workers who help fill essential jobs in agriculture.

As President-elect Trump begins implementing his border policy, Arizona Department of Agriculture Director Paul Brierly said this could impact the agricultural industry.

“Legal labor availability has come through the H2-A program and it still takes political wrangling to decide limits and quotas,” Brierly said.

He points to labor shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic that have impacted food production, but labor and water rights still pose the biggest challenges for agriculture.

“Especially during the pandemic, it was a real challenge for people to communicate,” Brierly said.

He said Arizona farms rely on employees coming from Mexico on work visas to meet demand.

“So the question is: will there be a framework for the flow of legal labor? I hope that as we combat illegal immigration, those legal avenues will be opened,” Brierley said.

Rosa’s work visa expires in January, so she must reapply. She hopes the new administration will not impact the visa program.

“I hope they give us a chance so we can continue working,” she said.

In the meantime, we will have to wait until Trump takes office and puts his plan in place.

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