Oregon Braces for Labor Disruptions as Trump Plans Aggressive 2026 Immigration Raids and Record ICE Funding

Despite falling ratings, President Trump has a more aggressive immigration crackdown planned for 2026, with billions earmarked for ICE and Border Patrol. Farmworkers are fearing the worst.

Trump Has Vigorous 2026 Immigration Enforcement Plans With Billions In Funding

Reuters reported yesterday that Trump is preparing for a more aggressive immigration crackdown in 2026, including workplace raids, after ICE and Border Patrol were given a $170 billion funding boost.

The strategy comes amid falling approval ratings and a brewing backlash ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Standing at 50% in March, Trump’s overall approval rating on immigration policy fell to 41% in mid-December, on immigration, his strongest issue.

While immigration agents have already surged into major U.S. cities, sweeping through neighborhoods and clashing with residents, federal agents conducted some high-profile raids on businesses.

Still, they largely avoided raiding farms, factories, and other companies known to employ immigrants without legal status that are economically important.

After the Republican-controlled Congress passed a massive spending package in July, ICE and Border Patrol funding, which already totaled about $19 billion, swelled by an extra $170 billion through September 2029.

Here is where H-2A certified jobs were concentrated nationally last year.

Reuters indicated that Administration officials plan to hire thousands more agents, open new detention centers, pick up more immigrants in local jails, and partner with outside companies to track down people without legal status.

White House border czar Tom Homan told Reuters the number of arrests will increase sharply. The focus on job sites in 2026 could lead to many more arrests and affect the U.S. economy and Republican-leaning business owners.

Despite the effect on inflation- another major Trump issue- replacing immigrants arrested during workplace raids could lead to higher labor costs.

Oregon’s Immigrant-Heavy Labor In Key Sectors Likely To Be Disrupted By Raids In 2026

Oregon’s economy depends heavily on immigrant labor in key sectors like agriculture, nurseries, and food processing plants. At the same time, a 6% Growth forecast by 2034 suggests that while the state’s total jobs will increase by 6% over the next decade, job growth across sectors will not be equal.

According to the American Immigration Council, Oregon’s agriculture industry is among the top industries for immigrant workers. Increased raids could lead to labor shortages in this sector, higher produce prices, and disruptions during harvest seasons.

Migrant farmworker healthcare suggests there are about 174,000 migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the state.

An Oregon Center for Public Policy report indicates that nearly one-third of those workers- about 57,000 people- could be undocumented. Despite increased immigration enforcement, to make a living, undocumented workers continue working in Oregon’s fields and orchards.

Removing dangerous criminals and targeting sanctuary cities that provide them safe harbor is an important platform for Trump, who also regularly advocates for farmers.

Federal data indicates that H-2A visa approvals in Oregon reached a 10-year high in 2024, with 27,372 workers approved to come to the state. The number was almost 19,000 for the first three quarters of 2025.

Most certified H-2A positions are for basic crop and nursery labor roles.

With 174,000 migrant and seasonal farmworkers and enforcement pressure already disrupting growers and workers, this pressure is now set to escalate in the new year.