The Trump Administration has promised intensified enforcement of immigration laws, including restricting undocumented worker access to health care services. Such policies could have serious negative repercussions on the agricultural sector, including difficulties in sourcing and hiring domestic workers to replace displaced undocumented workers, and potential deceases in labor productivity resulting from health deterioration among farm workers.

As the Trump administration considers overhauling existing health policies, this article presents evidence on health service provider selections and health bill settlement arrangements among documented and undocumented farm workers. These decisions are primarily constrained by lack of employer- and government-provided health benefit assistance, especially among certain categories of workers.

President Trump’s proposed policies could lead to a wall on the Mexico-U.S. border and the removal of unauthorized farm workers. The reduced labor force could have large negative consequences to U.S. agriculture. This article discusses unauthorized farm labor employment in agriculture and offers solutions to the potential loss of these workers such as further mechanization and replacing displaced workers with legal H-2A guest workers.

Immigration reform was a hot button issue in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and the narrative of “they took our jobs” won the day. Evidence from the meatpacking industry and the theory on compensating wage differentials suggests that Hispanic immigration is welfare improving. Hence, stricter immigration policy will likely be welfare reducing.