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Farmworkers—many of whom are immigrants—are the backbone of the U.S. food system, laboring under harsh conditions to ensure that our tables are full. As immigration enforcement escalates in communities across the United States, the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) recognizes that our calling extends beyond policy—it is a call to faithful solidarity. In the face of fear, we offer presence, prayer, and partnership with farmworkers and immigrant communities—valuing not only the labor they contribute, but the fullness of their lives, stories, and inherent dignity as beloved members of our shared community.

Rooted in General Assembly resolutions on immigration and sanctuary, we echo the PC(USA)’s affirmation that “sanctuary is one way that Presbyterians continue to live out the Gospel call to love our neighbor and welcome the stranger." The PC(USA), through multiple General Assembly actions—including the 1990 “Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice” report—has affirmed the vital contributions of migrant and seasonal farmworkers to our food system, calling for fair wages, safe working conditions, and justice for those whose labor sustains this nation.

Farmworkers are not simply workers—they are parents, neighbors and community leaders who nourish the land and feed the people. Yet recent ICE raids are not just disruptions of labor; they are attacks on access to food, housing, healthcare, and dignity. These actions destabilize entire communities and deepen the uncertainty that immigrant workers already endure.

In mid-June 2025, the Trump administration directed a brief pause on ICE raids targeting farms, hospitality, and meatpacking industries—citing concerns over labor shortages and vital food supply chains. However, within days, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reversed that order, reinstating aggressive enforcement at these worksites in pursuit of the administration's “3,000 arrests per day” target.

This hasty pivot underlines the dangerous position of farmworker communities: while the temporary easing offered brief reassurance, the renewal of raids amplifies fear and destabilization—threatening both immigrant families and the food system.

Across the country, the Presbyterian Hunger Program is proud to stand alongside courageous partners—immigrant justice organizers, farmworker‑led coalitions, and congregational advocates—who are building power, offering protection, and advancing the dignity of those most impacted in our food system. Here are a few of their stories:

• Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) has responded with powerful organizing to ICE raids and increasingly harsh state‑level policies. Over the past year, TIRRC has proactively prepared its members for Enforcement Rapid Response efforts by hosting “Know Your Rights” trainings, “train‑the‑trainer” sessions, and incorporating enforcement awareness into their Leadership Summits and committee meetings. These efforts have been critical in light of Tennessee Senate Bill 2576 (SB 2576)—a new law incentivizes local collaboration with ICE that TIRRC warns may embolden racial profiling and increase deportation risks due to its vague and dangerous wording.
• Hunger Action Advocate, Jessica Fitzgerald, for the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia, in partnership with the Compassion, Peace and Justice Ministry, leads a coordinated effort to support migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Collaborating with 14 churches, she educates congregations about systemic challenges like delayed wages and lack of labor protections. Her work embodies relational ministry—offering not just material aid, but presence, solidarity, and advocacy for justice.
• National Farm Worker Ministry (NFWM) continues to mobilize faith communities in sustained solidarity with farmworkers advocating for fair wages, housing, and legal protections. NFWM equips congregations with resources to educate themselves and their communities about the struggles farmworkers face in pursuing basic justice and human rights. Rooted in the call to welcome the stranger, How To Care For Immigrants In Your Community helps congregations embody God’s justice and hospitality through concrete acts of solidarity and community care.

PHP asserts that there is no food justice without justice for those who grow, pick, and prepare our food. In the name of the One who fed the hungry, welcomed the stranger, and stood with the oppressed, may we act boldly, love deeply, and stand faithfully.

A Prayer for Farmworkers and Immigrant Families in the Wake of ICE Raids

God of Liberation,

We come before You in grief and outrage, our hearts burdened by the cries of your beloved children—farmworkers torn from their fields, families separated, and communities living in fear.

Holy One, we remember those who rise before dawn, who sweat under the sun to feed us, yet are denied the fruits of their labor. We lift up the parents detained, the children who weep in uncertainty and the neighbors who wait and wonder who will be next.

Forgive us for the ways we have benefited from injustice, or accepted policies that dehumanize. Stir us to action. Let our prayers move our feet, our resources, and our voices.

We pray for healing for the traumatized, protection for the vulnerable, and courage for those offering sanctuary and solidarity. Guide your Church to be a refuge—a brave and compassionate witness to your justice and love.

God of mercy, may we embody the Beloved Community where all are fed, all are free, and no one is illegal.

In the name of the Liberator Christ, who was himself a refugee, we pray.

Amen.