AgNet News Hour: Immigration Reform, Border Concerns, and a Call to Protect California Farm Labor

In today’s AgNet News Hour, hosts Nick “The Ag Meter” Papagni and Josh McGill bring you an in-depth, powerful conversation with Manuel Cunha, President of the Nisei Farmers League, who delivers a passionate and eye-opening look into the state of agricultural labor in California and the urgent need for immigration reform.

Cunha pulls no punches, outlining the very real fears many farm workers live with daily—from Border Patrol raids in rural towns to the looming threat of deportation for long-time community members who have worked in California’s fields for decades. As harvest season hits full swing with tree fruit, grapes, garlic, and almonds, farmers are bracing for labor shortages while navigating a legal and political maze that has left both employers and employees uncertain and exposed.

The episode also explores the rising costs and complications of the H-2A program, with Cunha explaining why it’s often unworkable for California producers. He calls for a new guest worker program that provides temporary legal status and protections for the existing ag workforce—a workforce that was hailed as essential during COVID but has been left behind by politics ever since.

Listeners will hear stories from the field, including families torn by fear, parents working long hours to put children through college, and farmers facing constant pressure from overlapping state and federal agencies. Cunha outlines actionable solutions, including bipartisan collaboration on the Dignity Act and a broader alliance with other industries—like construction, hospitality, and restaurants—to push immigration reform forward.

This episode is a must-listen for any grower, rancher, policymaker, or citizen concerned with the future of food production in California.

Catch the full interview and analysis at AgNetWest.com, or subscribe to the AgNet West podcast on your favorite platform. The stakes are high, the stories are real—and the time to act is now.