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Medicaid Enrollees Targeted for Forced Farm Work Under Trump Immigration Crackdown

July 11, 2025

Trump administration Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has proposed replacing deported undocumented farm workers with America's 34 million "able-bodied adults" on Medicaid. This controversial plan suggests using Medicaid enrollment as a roster for agricultural labor, going beyond President Trump's earlier proposals to have farmers house and supervise migrant workers to avoid ICE raids. Critics characterize this approach as forced labor that would disproportionately impact Black Americans, who make up nearly 19% of Medicaid enrollees under 65, and would particularly affect women and children who constitute a significant portion of Medicaid recipients.

Who is affected

  • 34 million "able-bodied adults" enrolled in Medicaid
  • Black Americans, who make up nearly 19% of Medicaid enrollees under 65
  • Women and children (nearly half of Medicaid enrollees are under 19)
  • People with disabilities and chronic illnesses within the Medicaid program
  • Farmers who rely on immigrant workers to harvest crops
  • Undocumented immigrants being deported from U.S. farms

What action is being taken

  • The Trump administration is conducting "mass deportations" of undocumented immigrants from farms in what Rollins describes as "a strategic way"
  • Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is proposing to use Medicaid recipients as replacement agricultural workers
  • The administration is considering plans requiring farms to lodge and monitor their remaining migrant workforce

Why it matters

  • Critics characterize the proposal as "state-sanctioned exploitation" and forced labor
  • The policy would disproportionately impact Black Americans, who make up a higher percentage of Medicaid enrollees
  • Medicaid was designed to provide healthcare for people in poverty, not to create an agricultural workforce
  • Farmers warn these policies could trigger food shortages and economic disruption
  • The proposal raises legal concerns regarding labor laws, disability rights statutes, and constitutional protections against involuntary servitude
  • Many Medicaid recipients are already employed in low-wage jobs, are caretakers, or have health conditions

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint