TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY Paula Ramon: "US farmers fret over Trump's deportation plans"
This aerial view shows an aqueduct running next to a field of harvested almond trees on Del Bosque Farms in Firebaugh, California on December 17, 2024. Around 2.4 million people work in farming in the United States, 44 percent of whom are undocumented, according to a survey by the Department of Labor.
University of Michigan economist David Ortega said -- despite what some politicians say publicly -- it is widely acknowledged in official circles that the entire system is heavily dependent on illegal workers. (Photo by David Swanson / AFP)