The Forum Daily | Wednesday, October 29, 2025https://immigrationforum.org/

**THE FORUM DAILY**

In Louisiana, the assistance of migrant workers coming across the U.S.-Mexico border for the harvest is an important part of keeping sugar cane farms afloat, reports Alena Maschke of The Current [link removed] in Lafayette. 

"It’s vital to the survival of not only Louisiana sugar, but practically all of agriculture around the United States," said Chad Hanks, a local farmer who supports H-2A visas for seasonal workers in agriculture. 

The visa itself carries challenges for farmers who depend on migrant workers, reports Anna Kaminski of the Kansas Reflector [link removed]. 

Farmers from Kansas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, California and New Jersey weighed in during a recent press call and expressed worry that immigration enforcement will further their labor woes. 

"[Those include] the direct effects of having arrests and deportations of workers on the farm and what we call chilling effects, which are when workers get scared because they hear about immigration enforcement and don’t go to work because of fear of being deported," said Zach Rutledge, an agricultural, food and resource economics professor at Michigan State University. 

For Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wisconsin), finding long-term solutions for farmers and migrant workers is a top priority, reports Michael Scott Moore of Bloomberg [link removed]. 

"If we don’t retain our current agriculture workforce, our farms are going to close," said Van Orden, who recently introduced a bill to address migrant labor. 

The bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act [link removed] is another potential remedy, Moore reports. 

Welcome to Wednesday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s VP of Strategic Communications, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Marcela Aguirre, Masooma Amin, Jillian Clark and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected] mailto:[email protected]. 

**SELF-DEPORTATION** — According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 1.6 million people in the United States without authorization have self-deported, reports Luke Barr of ABC News [link removed]. The self-deportation program includes a $1,000 payment and a plane ticket. Some who have tried to leave have faced delays, as Melissa Sanchez and Mariam Elba of ProPublica [link removed] reported earlier this month. 

**‘INDIRECT EFFECT’** — After her mother’s death following their deportation from the U.S., 18-year-old Nory is faced with the lonely prospect of navigating the dangers that awaited them in Guatemala by herself, reports Nadra Nittle of The 19th News [link removed]. "What’s missing from the conversation is the indirect effect on the people who are not specifically targeted," said Valerie Lacarte, a senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. 

For more on people affected by immigration policies: 

* Though married to a U.S. citizen, Antonio Barojas Solano, the sole provider for a family of 8, was detained for six weeks — and the family’s uncertainty continues. (Lauren Villagran, USA Today [link removed]) 

* In Oakland, California, absences spiked Thursday amid rumors that a planned surge of immigration enforcement would include schools. (Ashley McBride, The Oaklandside [link removed]) 

* A recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has been detained after speaking out on social media against human rights abuses in ICE facilities. (Taylor Romine, CNN [link removed]) 

**TREATMENT FEARS **— Many immigrants are afraid to seek medical care after immigration enforcement officers have shown up at hospitals and community clinics in California this year, reports [link removed] Claudia Boyd-Barrett of KFF Health News. A new law aims to stop medical establishments from allowing immigration agents into their facilities — but legal experts are unsure if such a barrier will work. 

**PRAYERS FOR IMMIGRANTS **— In Illinois, Wheaton College students recently worshipped outside an ICE facility, reports Claire Taylor of The Wheaton Record [link removed]. "We do not stand for the unlawful detainment and mistreatment of innocent humans," said Wheaton junior and organizer Noah Smith. Elsewhere, an annual run in which participants carry a torch from Mexico City to New York City is meant to honor immigrants and the Blessed Mother, reports Amira Abuzeid of the Catholic News Agency [link removed]. 

Thanks for reading, 

Dan 

[link removed]

[link removed]    [link removed]    [link removed]    [link removed]

[link removed]

Unsubscribe from this email list [link removed] or opt out from all Forum emails [link removed]

Forum<br>10 G St NE<br>Suite 500<br>Washington, D.C. 20002<br>United States
www.forumtogether.org [link removed]