With Mexican immigrants leaving the area voluntarily or involuntarily due to the current anti-immigrant sentiment, Kennett Square is facing a labor shortage that threatens the borough’s vitality, writes Alfredo Corchado for The New York Times.

Kennett Square is one of many places in America that has been revived by the influx of immigrants over the years. The Mushroom Capital of the World is a large part of the $2.7 billion mushroom industry in southeastern Pennsylvania.

However, fears now permeate the town.

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“All the negativity, the fear mongering, the anti-immigrant feeling is hurting our small town,” said Chris Alonzo, president of Pietro Industries.

About half of Kennett Square’s residents today are Hispanic, with most hailing from Mexico. For generations, they have contributed to Kennett Square’s renewal by starting their own mushroom farms, hair salons, grocery stores, and eateries.

“The Mexicans changed the community for the better,” said Loretta Perna, coordinator of the Walk in Knowledge Program at Kennett High School. “They became part of not just the mushroom community, but part of the overall community.”

Read more about Kennett Square in The New York Times here.