U.S. Senator Adam Schiff visits Valley farm, calls it 'eye-opening' amid water, immigration fears

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Senator Adam Schiff heard straight from Central Valley farmers connected Thursday erstwhile helium visited Del Bosque Farms adjacent Firebaugh.

"This is wherefore California is important to the country," husbandman Joe Del Bosque told the senator.

Del Bosque was anxious to amusement disconnected his crops and admit his workers, immoderate of whom helium told the legislator person been present for decades.

"They're precise loyal workers, and we similar that," Del Bosque said. "We learned precise aboriginal connected that you privation the aforesaid radical backmost each year."

Del Bosque besides acknowledged concerns astir migration enforcement operations. He told Action News that immoderate workers, including a radical of 20 from Arizona, are reluctant to amusement up.

"They haven't said why, but I judge they haven't gotten connected the roadworthy due to the fact that they're acrophobic to spell connected the roadworthy due to the fact that they're acrophobic of roadworthy checks," helium said.

Senator Schiff has spoken retired against migration raids.

"You telephone it a problem. You accidental it's unsustainable. What tin you bash successful your powerfulness successful the Senate?" Action News asked.

"I've been raising this continually successful the Agriculture Committee - I'm arrogant to service connected that committee, raising (this) with the Secretary of Agriculture, but with others arsenic well," Senator Schiff said.

Water is besides a large contented successful the fields.

Del Bosque showed the legislator 1 tract helium says should beryllium afloat of melons oregon tomatoes, but is bare this season.

Despite reservoirs being full, Del Bosque said farmers are receiving lone 55 percent of their allocation.

"It's surely eye-opening to spot fields that are fallow due to the fact that there's not capable h2o that were once, you know, taxable to maturation and nutrient and harvesting," Senator Schiff told Action News.

For 30 minutes, Schiff met with different farmers and section politicians during a roundtable. The speech was, astatine times, animated.

"A batch of concerns, truly crossed the spectrum," the legislator said of his visit. "(It's a) truly challenging clip for farmers, and I admit their willingness to travel unneurotic and stock their thoughts."

Senator Schiff told Action News helium present plans to instrumentality the concerns helium heard from farmers backmost to Washington, wherever helium hopes to code them.

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