In Eastern Washington’s vast farmlands—where apple orchards and hop fields feed our state’s economy—farmworkers are facing a growing storm. Behind every harvest are families whose lives are shaped by shifting immigration policies, unstable labor programs, and the constant fear of deportation.
KING 5’s Facing Race special, “Harvest Under Pressure,” takes viewers inside this reality. It shines a light on the human cost of federal immigration enforcement and how these policies ripple across Washington’s rural communities. The documentary captures the voices of farmworkers who sustain our multibillion-dollar agricultural industry yet live under daily uncertainty, and of farmers struggling to find stable labor amid tightening regulations.
But this crisis doesn’t stop at the fields. It reaches into classrooms and campuses across our state.
From the Fields to the Colleges
The same policies that destabilize families in the orchards also impact students in Washington’s community and technical colleges. Many are the sons and daughters of farmworkers, and some are undocumented themselves—navigating not only the barriers of higher education but also the trauma of living in mixed-status families.
That’s why this May Day, Communities for Our Colleges (C4C) helped organize a statewide rally calling for investment in equity and protection for immigrant students. We stood alongside students, parents, and educators to demand that our higher education system reflect the values of inclusion, dignity, and opportunity for all—regardless of immigration status.
A Shared Struggle, A Shared Future
Harvest Under Pressure and our May Day rally both tell parts of the same story: that immigration policy is not an abstract political issue—it’s about people. It’s about who gets to learn, who gets to work, and who gets to thrive.
Our communities are intertwined. When immigrant farmworkers are under threat, their children’s access to education is too. When we fight for student equity, we are also fighting for the families who sustain our food system and our economy.
Moving Forward
As we continue to organize and advocate, Communities for Our Colleges remains committed to uplifting student voices—especially those from immigrant and working-class backgrounds. We believe that every student deserves the chance to succeed, and every family deserves stability and respect.
Together, we can build a Washington where our policies match our values: where no student is left behind because of their immigration status, and every worker is treated with dignity.
