California, particularly Los Angeles, ICE raids and the immediate reaction by the residents represents a watershed moment in an extraordinary government effort to get rid of Latino immigrants even if they are citizens. ICE is finding out that they cannot go in and do what they want at least with Los Angeles Brown people and their supporters.
The much-touted presence of the military is also finding echoes of confusion. Members of the California National Guard openly questioned why they were there before better thinking allowed them to stand down.
More important is the notion of immigrants as purveyors of hard work as a living concept. People in power are beginning to realize that there is no substitute for hard work although generally few in the country understand or accept it as among the highest priorities that transforms lives.
Throughout our history immigrants that come to the United States have found dignity in work. Perhaps they did not have any other alternative because the choice to leave their country included securing opportunity with many risks.
The wave of devastation caused by lack of Latino immigrant farm labor because of ICE is beginning to weigh on the political class in Washington D.C. An example of this is the issue of tomatoes imported from Mexico. Because 70 percent of tomatoes and other produce served in American tables comes from Mexico, the Trump administration accused the exporter of “dumping,” a term used for artificially lowering the price of an item so that it can unfairly compete in the marketplace. So, it has imposed a 17 percent tariff on tomato imports causing a 10 percent rise in cost of the product in grocery stores.
The tariff is designed to benefit American farmers who welcome the increase in the price, but to what end? We have just seen South Florida farmers plow their tomato crop under because there is no labor to pick it.
Some years back there was an immigration scare, and Alabamans saw their tomatoes rot in the fields because migrant laborers refused to come into the State due to its new anti-immigration laws. The farmers had tried to get domestic labor from a variety of sources but found that they did not last because the work was “too hard.”
Now, Florida Republican Representative Maria Elvira Salazar joined by Texas Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar have introduced the Dignity Act of 2025, an immigration reform package that would allow, among other things, undocumented workers legal status for 7 years with no provisions for residency or citizenship. Like Salazar, farmers and politicians from farming states are showing a sort of desperation that comes from a negative pocketbook experience.
The name of the legislation amounts to an admission not only of the importance of immigrant labor to the American economy but also recognizes the work ethic that characterizes the role of Latino immigrants in the country. However, it does not take into account the deeper intention of an administration that seeks to drastically reduce the number of Latinos and their children in America simply because they are Latinos.
There is a demonstrated fear of Manifest Destiny in reverse. That is, the results of the dispossession of Spanish and Mexican lands and people to achieve continental domination are fraying because of the Latino march toward a demographic majority.
The current national deportation policies favor a much smaller footprint for the Latino community and Latino immigrant access to work. At the same time, there is a great need for hard-working people necessary to build and maintain our prosperity.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
