NCAE works with Trump administration to develop solutions to strengthen ag

The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) extended an offer and encouraged the Trump administration to collaborate with the agricultural community.

In a letter, the organization wants to work with the new administration to develop immigration solutions that strengthen national security and affirms America’s ability to feed itself and the world. The letter was written in mid-June and addressed to Secretaries Rollins, Chavez-DeRemer, Rubio, Noem and White House Chief of Staff Wiles.

NCAE’s letter follows statements made by President Trump on social media and during a press conference that changes to the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics were imminent for the agricultural community. In the remarks, Trump admitted that current tactics that removed longtime, hardworking farmworkers may have harmed America’s farmers and ranchers. The president acknowledged that some of those workers, while not citizens, are integral to the success of America’s agricultural community, according to a news release.

“After years of being ignored by the previous administration, the agricultural community was grateful to hear President Trump’s recognition of the critical importance of the agricultural workforce,” Michael Marsh, NCAE’s president and CEO, said in the release. “America’s farmers and ranchers need a champion in their corner. We know that, together, we can develop positive and palpable change that bolsters rural America.”

NCAE and its members are excited to work with the administration to collaboratively develop an immigration solution that simultaneously enhances national security and recognizes that America’s ability to feed itself is integral to that very security, Marsh said in the release.

“As the president acknowledged, much of the success of America’s farming and ranching community depends on the presence and availability of ready, willing and able individuals who perform the labor-intensive tasks needed on farms and ranches across America each day,” Marsh said in the release.

In the letter, Marsh wrote that, as always, “America’s farm and ranch families are committed, putting on their boots, rolling up their sleeves and getting the job done. We know that the farmworkers who assist America’s farm and ranch families are very hard working, contribute to our communities and our economy, and recognize they are key to achieving a successful outcome for America.”

“We must find a path forward,” Marsh said in the release, “so that American agriculture and Americans can thrive.”

Based in Arlington, Virginia, NCAE is the national trade association focusing on agricultural labor issues from the employer’s viewpoint.