Following the enforcement of stricter immigration measures by U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. agricultural organizations have significantly increased their lobbying expenditures against the government.
According to materials from the U.S. Senate released by the non-profit research organization OpenSecrets, U.S. agricultural organizations spent a total of $29 million (approximately 40 billion won) on lobbying budgets in the first half of this year. This marks an increase of about 26% compared to the same period last year ($23 million).
The reason for their lobbying is that U.S. farmers are heavily reliant on the labor of undocumented immigrants. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that over 40% of current farm workers do not have legal residency status.
As a result, President Trump has intensified the crackdown on illegal immigrants, but he also faces a political dilemma of needing to maintain the support of farmers. He has emphasized, "I am the strongest opponent of immigration in history, but at the same time, I am the strongest supporter of farmers."
The agricultural sector argues that while the Trump administration has cracked down on illegal immigration, institutional support for securing alternative labor is insufficient. Amanda Powers, the director of the New York Farm Bureau, a non-profit lobbying organization, said, "We have long focused on this issue, but now the attention of policymakers is increasing and our voice is expanding."
The Texas Farm Bureau allocated $1.2 million to its lobbying budget in the first half of this year and maintains that "there are no options other than the H-2A program." They demanded a more active response from the government, stating, "There is already a severe labor shortage in rural areas."
Currently, the lobbying activities of agricultural organizations are primarily focused on reducing the expenses associated with the H-2A foreign worker program, freezing minimum wage standards, and delaying new regulations. The H-2A program allows for the employment of foreign seasonal workers in agriculture, mandating that employers provide housing and maintain wage caps.
The industry has achieved some success. John Hollley, the government relations director of the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), stated, "Some of the labor regulations that burdened farms have been suspended, and there has been progress in expense relief and increasing flexibility."
For example, the 'Labor Rights Expansion Regulation' established during the Biden administration guarantees H-2A workers the same rights as U.S. workers, but its implementation was temporarily halted due to opposition from the agricultural sector.
Meanwhile, agricultural organizations are also conducting lobbying related to the high tariff policies of the Trump administration. The U.S. is a major importer of agricultural input materials such as fertilizers and agricultural machinery, and since a large proportion of agricultural exports are to China, the impact of retaliatory tariffs is unavoidable.
In fact, more than 30 agricultural organizations have lobbied on tariff issues, and 10 organizations participated in lobbying to counter the activities of the 'MAHA Commission,' which promotes reform in the food industry.
Additionally, many agricultural organizations intervened in the legislative process of the key agricultural bill known as the 'Big and Beautiful Act' that President Trump signed on the 4th of last month. This bill includes several provisions demanded by soybean and corn growers, fertilizer producers, and ranchers.
Rob LaRue, president of the National Farmers Union, stated, "The victories secured by the agricultural sector in this bill are the result of continuous policy lobbying."