Inside San Diego's foreign-born noncitizen workforce
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More than 11% of all San Diego workers are foreign-born noncitizens, according to census data.
The big picture: The Trump administration instituted a massive immigration crackdown earlier this summer, with the largest increase in ICE arrests coming among people without criminal charges or convictions.
By the numbers: Foreign-born noncitizens — which include legal residents or people with work visas — represent the largest share of workers in the San Diego metropolitan area's agriculture, construction and hotel, recreation and food services industries.
- They represent nearly 41% of all agriculture and mining workers, and 18% of construction workers.
- And foreign-born noncitizens account for more than 15% of workers in accommodations, food services and recreation — which essentially constitutes San Diego's massive tourism industry.
Between the lines: In June, Trump acknowledged his crackdown was hitting farm and hospitality workers especially hard and vowed to make changes.
- No change in policy has been announced.
Zoom out: Foreign-born noncitizen workers make up 8.3% of the country's civilian workforce ages 16 and older, based on a 2019–2023 average of U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
- San Diego surpasses the national share among the agriculture and mining (17.1%), construction (17.1%) and accommodations, food services and recreation (11%) industries.
- Around 40% of crop farmworkers nationwide lack work authorization, per USDA estimates.
The latest: Farmers "are getting frustrated with the delays" on a big White House plan for undocumented workers, Politico reports, while some farm workers say they're being "hunted like animals" in immigration raids, per The Guardian.
- The Trump administration has taken some smaller steps, such as the Labor Department's new "Office of Immigration Policy," meant to streamline some temporary worker visas.