Local farm labor concerned about incoming president

TOLEDO, Oh WNWO — A Trump presidency can mean a lot for migrant workers in the next four years.

Locally, Blademar Velasquez, who runs the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, said the incoming president can put up whatever wall he wants, but it won't stop the need for migrant work.

“You can put walls, you can put electronic fence, you can put whatever, if there’s a void in the labor market, it’s going to get filledit’s like water to a dry spot, you can’t stop it," said Velasquez.

He added that those coming for work are also doing everything they can to provide for their family.

"You can’t stop people from trying to survive from hunger. You got to feed your family, you’re going to climb over any wall, go through any tunnel, in order to make that possible," said Velasquez.

Velasquez believes the most visible changes will be to how much workers are paid.

“Traditionally when a democrat is in office, they use a wage survey that skews the wages up, because under the visa you have to pay a prevailing wage, to not to under cut the domestic workers in the United States and if a republican is in office, they use another wage study that skews the wages down," said Velasquez.

Overall, Velasquez wants President-elect Trump to be a president for all Americans.

“If he’s going to be everybody’s president, then he’s got to start correcting himself and act like it," said Velasquez.