Farm and Food file: U.S. Labor Dept. says less pay means more farm employees

Earlier this year, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Senate and House's self-described "exclusive" research and analysis group, "estimated 680,000 farmworkers are illegal immigrants and make up 35% of the [U.S.] agricultural workforce."

That group is a "larger percentage than U.S. citizens (27%), foreign guest workers (16%) or non-citizens with authorization to work in the U.S. (22%)." It's also the ag employee group hardest hit by the White House's immigration enforcement.

In fact, according to the Washington Post , the U.S. Department of Labor recently noted that the crackdown and its "near total cessation of the inflow of illegal aliens' is threatening 'the stability of domestic food production and prices for U.S. consumers.'"

Moreover, it added, "'Unless the Departmen