WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Local farmers are warning that our food system is being threatened by a mishandling of the federal crackdown on immigration.

Ben Tindall, Executive Director of the Whatcom County-based advocacy and outreach group Save Family Farming, says the recent threat of ICE arrests has created a culture of fear among farm workers.

“Regardless of whether they’re here legally or not, there’s just this fear of being looked at based solely on the color of their skin or the language in which they primarily speak,” Tindall told My Bellingham Now.

Tindall says he’s heard from farmers across the state that some of their workers are scared to even come to work.

His organization’s warning comes after the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration has given ICE officials arrest quotas, ranging from a few hundred to over a thousand per day.

Tindall says farmers are encouraged by the government’s efforts to protect the country from criminals but want to see the process handled with more respect for immigrants.

“It’s almost less an issue about the law, it’s simply ‘how is the law being executed?’ And there is a responsible and correct way to show respect and dignity… then there’s also this reckless way that is somewhat careless,” Tindal said.

Instead, Tindall says farmers need to have a seat at the table when it comes to these decisions that impact their crucial industry.

“We need to see our legislators and policymakers create an atmosphere where there is security for individuals who are here legally,” Tindall said. “And our leaders need to make policy and adjust policy executions based on what they learn from farmworkers and their experiences.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 70% of crop farmworkers in the country are immigrants and 42% are undocumented.