A Chester County mushroom farmer is bemoaning the fact that he is losing the majority of his workforce to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), due to much stricter immigration policies under President Donald Trump, writes Joseph DiStefano for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The farmer, who wanted to remain anonymous, recently found himself facing not only civil penalties but also criminal charges if he did not let go of or provide valid documentation for around two dozen workers that ICE has deemed “invalid.”

Most of the people on the list have already left and taken their family members with them, further reducing the number of available employees.

The farm owner did not want to lose any of his workers as neither he nor his farm manager know how they will be able to replace them. While an experienced mushroom picker can earn more than $1,000 in a busy week, that is not enough to entice residents of Pennsylvania’s most affluent county.

The government “is taking my already-depleted labor force away while my mushrooms rot on the beds,” said the owner, who voted for the president.

Read more about the issue at Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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