Empty farms, frightened workers


The warehouse of Red River Farms, whose owner wonders whether to plant if he has no one to maintain and harvest fields, in Donna, Texas; and (below) the El Tocayo Drive Thru, where a recent ICE raid squashed the hopes of some undocumented farm workers that other jobs could be safer, in Edinburg, Texas. — Gabriel V. Cardenas/The New York Times

ALEXANDRA, a 55-year-old immigrant living in the United States illegally, was on her way to work at a watermelon farm in the border city of Edinburg, Texas, when her oldest son stopped her before she stepped out of her ageing trailer.

“Please don’t go. You are going to get deported,” he told Alexandra, who asked that her last name not be used because she did not want to attract attention from federal immigration agents.

The Star Christmas Special Promo: Save 35% OFF Yearly. T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.02/month

Billed as RM 96.20 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
StarExtra

Next In Focus

Peace of the action
Bondi bloodbath and Gaza genocide
AI at work: The human edge
AI at work: From degrees to adaptability
Whose duty is it to pay duties?
A dodo deja vu in the Amazon
Machado’s gamble from exile
Big hurdles in US chip dreams
Losing the climate and info war
Leopold’s Congo folly unmasked

Others Also Read