Co-owner Harwinder Singh Brar shared, “Our fleet consists of nearly 90 trucks.” His journey to the U.S. began in 1998 when he came with his field hockey team. Instead of returning to India, where he faced religious persecution, he chose to stay and seek asylum.

Brar’s commitment to his employees is evident; many have been part of the team for over ten years. He fosters a familial atmosphere at the company, stating, “This is my family. They’re not just employees; they mean a lot to us.”

He points out that immigrant labor is crucial to the trucking industry, hypothesizing that the sector would face collapse without their contributions. Co-owner Prab Gill echoes this sentiment, asserting, “The current makeup of the workforce has significantly evolved, and immigrants are at the forefront of it.”

Amidst a tightening immigration stance by the Trump administration, the National Milk Producers Federation has observed that the absence of immigrant labor could lead to a staggering 90% increase in retail milk prices. This issue highlights the interdependence between labor availability and consumer costs.

A Wisconsin dairy farmer relayed to CBS News in a recent interview that an overwhelming majority—around 90%—of the tasks on his farm are performed by immigrants. He elaborated on the financial implications, noting, “If I were to hire American workers, the salary would be around $100,000 annually per person, but they would only work 40 to 50 hours a week. Such costs are unsustainable for my operation.”

Castro adds to this narrative, stating, “It’s about hard work. These individuals wake up in the early hours of the morning, ready to start their day by one or two o’clock. Their efforts carry on late into the night because the demand for milk is unceasing.”

The reliance on immigrant labor is a crucial aspect of the dairy industry’s infrastructure, posing questions about future labor policies and their potential effects on food production and pricing.

Source
www.cbsnews.com