Feb 6, 2025

Ag Labor Review: How Trump’s cabinet picks could reshape ag workforce policy

While some of the new president’s cabinet nominees sparked controversy during Senate confirmation hearings, Donald Trump’s picks tied to farm labor faced little resistance. Now, the incoming leaders at the Labor, Agriculture, Homeland Security and State Departments are positioned to drive changes that could profoundly reshape farm labor.

Secretary of Labor: Lori Chavez-DeRamer

Lori Chavez-DeRamer was nominated as Secretary of Labor. The former Oregon congresswoman lost her seat in November, but she brings an agriculture connection: She grew up in Hanford, California, attended Fresno State, and reportedly spent part of her youth packing peaches for a local Hanford grower.

Chavez-DeRamer was one of only three House Republicans to co-sponsor the PRO Act in the last Congress, a bill that would have expanded union organizing rights and weakened state right-to-work laws.

Upon her confirmation, Chavez-DeRamer will face immediate action from the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE). We filed a Write of Mandamus in Federal District Court, pressing for a hearing on our petition to change the Adverse Effect Wage Rate methodology. Acting Secretary Julie Su allowed our petition to languish for more than a year without a response.

Secretary of Agriculture: Brooke Rollins

President Trump selected Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture. She previously served as Acting Director of the Domestic Policy Council in his first administration. Prior to that, she served as deputy general counsel for Rick Perry, governor of Texas.

If confirmed, Rollins will become only the second woman to lead the USDA, following Ann Veneman under President George W. Bush.

Rollins grew up on a farm in Glen Rose, Texas. She studied at Texas A&M and earned her law degree from the University of Texas. We expect Rollins to work closely with the Department of Labor to advance agricultural employers’ needs.

Secretary of Homeland Security: Kristi Noem

President Trump nominated Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Noem, the current governor of South Dakota and a four-term member of Congress, studied at South Dakota State University and also works as a farmer and a rancher.

As the Secretary of DHS, Noem will oversee border security and direct agencies, including:

• Customs and Border Control (CBP), which enforces immigration laws within 100 miles of the U.S. border.
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), tasked with handling interior enforcement.
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which approves H-2A visas for farm workers.

The administration’s campaign promises of mass deportations could keep DHS busy. Nearly one million U.S. farm workers lack legal status, and stricter enforcement could worsen the nation’s farm labor shortage. To improve efficiency, we plan to urge Noem to digitize H-2A visa processing.

Secretary of State: Marco Rubio

President Trump selected Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. Rubio, whose parents emigrated from Cuba in 1956, graduated from the University of Florida and the University of Miami School of Law. He served in the Florida legislature and rose to Speaker of the House before entering the U.S. Senate.

In 2013, Rubio joined the bipartisan “Gang of Eight,” a group of senators who crafted comprehensive immigration reform. He supported legislation that passed the Senate but never reached a House vote.

The NCAE has worked with Rubio in the past, and we look forward to collaborating with him and his team at the State Department.

NCAE’s outlook

The NCAE hopes the change of leadership in Washington, D.C. will bring regulatory relief for ag employers after years of heavy rule-making under the previous administration. We see an opportunity to work with the new cabinet members to reset priorities and advance policies that support a stable, productive workforce.

Out with the old and in with the new.

Editor’s Note: President Trump’s ag-related cabinet members all received U.S. Senate confirmation.

Michael Marsh has led the National Council of Agricultural Employers since 2017. A Wyoming native and certified public accountant, Marsh worked for a CPA firm with farm and ranch clients investigating fraud. He was director of finance for the Almond Board of California for seven years and spent 15 years as CEO of the largest U.S. dairy producer trade association.