MAILBOX: Attacks on migration are attacks on small farms | Opinion

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s attacks on immigration must be viewed as an attack on small farms and our farming communities.

Cornell University reports that over 50% of farmworkers are undocumented immigrants. The shortage of farmworkers is a major reason for farm bankruptcies. When the previous administration attacked immigration, farm bankruptcies increased dramatically—by 20% in 2019. This was not an unintended result of Trump’s immigration policies. In fact, Mark Kirkorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that advised the Trump administration, told the New York Times (March 18, 2019) that their goal was to force small farms to consolidate.

A study by the Union of Concerned Scientists (published April 14, 2021) reports that farm consolidation causes “jobs to disappear, populations to shrink, and physical and social infrastructure to weaken.” Small family farms support our local schools and churches and bring economic vitality to our communities.

Ms. Tenney’s attacks on immigration are aimed at attacking our local communities.

WILLIAM FINE, Brockport