Will migrant and undocumented immigrant workers return to California farms next year?
As the harvest season comes to a close, that question looms over Central Valley — raising concerns about the region’s economy and the state’s agricultural industry, reports CalMatters’ Nigel Duara.
In addition to California’s overall economy and the economies of its big cities, some of the state’s small farm towns are feeling the fallout of President Donald Trump’s aggressive campaign to conduct the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
Total taxable transactions in Fresno County’s Firebaugh, for example, were down 29% in the second quarter of this year compared to the same time last year. In nearby Chowchilla, total taxable receipts were down 21%. The food bank in Firebaugh also used to serve about 50 families — now that number is up to 150.
- Ben Gallegos, Firebaugh City Manager: “We need those individuals to drive our community. They’re the ones that eat at our local restaurants, they’re the ones that shop at our local stores. Without them, what do we do? They’re scared to come out because of the color of their skin.”
Migrant and immigrant labor also help power the state’s $60-billion agricultural industry. In an October notice, the U.S. Department of Labor rang the alarm about how losing farmworkers across the country could threaten the nation’s food supply and cause “significant disruptions” to “prices for U.S. consumers.”
Though it’s difficult to know both the number of farmworkers currently employed and how much the fear of deportation is affecting the industry’s employment, some say California farmworkers are weighing the risk of staying or self-deporting.
- Jesus Ibañez, a Fresno immigration attorney who works with farmworkers: “My clients say this country’s not for them anymore. They feel like they’re on borrowed time here. That sentiment is not one I heard a lot one year ago.”
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CA prisons go over budget
California’s multibillion-dollar prison system is on track to exceed its budget, despite prison closures and trimmed payroll expenses, writes CalMattes’ Cayla Mihalovich.
This year the state budget set aside $17.5 billion for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. But over three years, the department is expected to overspend by about $850 million — and contribute to the state’s overall projected budget deficit — according to a new report from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.
Part of the projected overspend is because costs are rising. In May the department received $357 million in a one-time allocation from the general fund because it didn’t have the money to cover workers’ compensation, overtime and food for incarcerated people.
The department’s budget woes come despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s closing prisons in an attempt to save the state money. Next year Newsom aims to close the fifth prison under his governorship, a facility in Riverside County. His administration estimates each prison closure saves about $150 million a year.
CA’s 2026 elections
Let’s dive into some election news:
- New gubernatorial contender: California U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell unveiled his candidacy for governor on a late-night show last week. The seven-term congressmember is an outspoken critic of Trump and helped lead the second impeachment of the president following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack. Though Swalwell’s initial campaign launch offered no specific policy details, Swalwell said “no one will keep California safer” than he will. He also cited his experience as a planning commissioner and city councilmember for his California hometown of Dublin. Read more from CalMatters’ Maya C. Miller.
- San Diego shakeup?: San Diego may lose its only Republican in Congress if Proposition 50’s voting maps are ultimately held up in court. California’s 48th Congressional District currently covers conservative East County San Diego communities, and is represented by U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa. But 11 Democrats are vying to unseat Issa in next year’s midterm elections now that the district has been redrawn to give Democrats an advantage. Read more from CalMatters’ Deborah Brennan.
And lastly: CA licensed nursing homes, despite red flags
California nursing homes affiliated with Shlomo Rechnitz are facing lawsuits alleging that patients were raped, ignored and unnecessarily exposed to COVID-19. Rechnitz’ companies deny the allegations. Read the key takeaways from the special report by CalMatters’ Jocelyn Wiener.
California Voices
When political leaders ignore the sovereignty of Native peoples, they encourage citizens to see them as part of the country’s past — instead of governments that still exercise authority in the present, writes Kerri Malloy, assistant professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies at San José State University and enrolled member of the Yurok Tribe.
Museums and universities still resist returning cultural items to Native American tribes, but through repatriation agreements tribes can regain legal control of the items and decide how their cultural heritages are used, writes Jeannine Pedersen-Guzmán, tribal archives, collections and repatriation manager for the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation in Highland.
Other things worth your time:
House budget-writers ‘ready to go’ on wildfire aid — but White House isn’t asking // The Sacramento Bee
Justice Department sues CA over college aid to undocumented students // EdSource
Deaths in ICE custody raise serious questions, CA lawmakers say // Los Angeles Times
CA spent over $450M on a new 911 system. It’s now scrapping the flawed design // The Sacramento Bee
A quiet immigration policy change leaves longtime Sonoma County resident trapped in ICE detention // The San Francisco Standard
H-1B visa: Canada launches another program to poach foreign talent from Silicon Valley // The Mercury News
Santa Monica to pay $350K to family of displaced Black entrepreneur as part of larger reparations effort // Los Angeles Times