Research & Data

As a data-driven organization, the UFW Foundation surveys, gathers, analyzes and organizes data on farm workers and immigrants to better understand the issues impacting our community.

Under the Sun and out of the shadows

Fears, Hopes, and Aspirations of Undocumented Farm Workers Targeted by Trump-Era Enforcement

“Under the Sun and Out of the Shadows” is a novel survey findings report documenting the experiences and perspectives of 2,250 farm workers regarding immigration enforcement since the beginning of the second Trump administration. The survey also documents their hopes and dreams for remaining in the United States through a pathway to legal status. As employers report national agricultural hardships, journalists share stories of farm workers’ difficulties, and advocates work to protect farm workers. The UFW Foundation’s novel survey shares insights directly from farm workers as they continue to live through immigration raids and heightened scrutiny.

Because Congress has not passed any genuine immigration reform law since 1986, the number of undocumented field laborers has grown, placing them at risk of arrest, especially along northern and southern border communities. For nearly four decades, immigration personnel have increased the scale and force of immigration operations within farm worker communities and have only increased their activities in recent years. Today, agricultural employers want a one-sided solution that rejects a path to citizenship and instead expands the H-2A farm worker guest program while at the same time reducing its minimal protections. This report highlights farm workers’ hopes for a bipartisan solution, such as the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, to acquire documented status and remain living with their loved ones without enduring family separations. 

UFW Foundation Surveys

Over the years, the UFW Foundation has surveyed thousands of farm workers directly via our texting program.