ICE fears alter annual California farmworker holiday caravan
SAN JOSE, Calif. - An annual holiday caravan that delivers gifts and cooked tamales to California farmworkers is taking a different approach this year, with organizers citing an increase in immigration enforcement operations as the reason for heightened caution.
The volunteer-led tradition typically brings holiday cheer directly to farms across the state. But organizers said "current rhetoric and ICE activity" prompted them to scale back outside participation and media invitations for this year’s event.
"It's impacted every event for us this year," organizer Darlene Tenes told KTVU. "We don't promote any of our events on our website. We don't post anything. We don't even ask for volunteers, we work with our partner organizations. Anytime we are gathering farmworkers, because of the rhetoric, the hateful rhetoric that has been around."
The caravan is still scheduled to visit multiple farms Monday, continuing a long-standing effort to reach farmworkers where they live and work. In a 2023 interview, one volunteer explained why freshly prepared tamales have become a staple of the celebration.
"We have to cook all the tamales, so it takes quite a bit of time to cook them all," the volunteer said. "We want to bring them tamales that are already cooked and they can eat."
The attention on farmworker communities intensified last year following a mass shooting that killed seven farmworkers in Half Moon Bay, prompting renewed scrutiny of living and working conditions.
Concerns about immigration enforcement have grown throughout 2024. President Donald Trump pledged to carry out what he has called the largest deportation effort in U.S. history. Though he has not clarified how such policies would affect agricultural workers specifically, the uncertainty has fueled widespread fear among farmworker families.
California farmers have reported labor shortages throughout the year. By July, more than 155,000 farmworkers had left the labor force, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some growers say the disruption contributed to crop losses during harvest seasons.
Organizers of Monday’s caravan say the tradition will continue despite the tense climate, though with additional precautions. They plan to share more details later in the morning.