Farmers in the Santa Maria Valley are breathing a sigh of relief since President Donald Trump ordered Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue two weeks ago to ensure the industry has “access to a reliable workforce.” The faint reference to immigration in his executive order on promoting and regulating agriculture constitutes a sharp departure from Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportations.
It is “the first sign we’ve seen for having an opportunity for some type of guest worker program,” said Santa Barbara Republican Mike Stoker, who has worked on ag policy for more than 20 years. “Otherwise we don’t have a reliable workforce.”
While many farmers share Stoker’s confidence, they disagree about what form such a program would take. A task force of Perdue and White House officials has 120 days to draft recommendations for Trump. Asked if this one line in the executive order amounted to a significant shift, Stoker said Trump has been softening his tune on immigration for two years. “Every president evolves,” he added. “Obama evolved on a lot of issues — thankfully so.”