The impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportation is already starting to show. The California Farm Bureau says fears in the Central Valley have led to migrant farmworkers not showing up for work, which has virtually halted the area’s citrus harvest. Agriculture leaders in the Bay Area are worried about something similar happening locally and what it could mean for citrus prices. It’s the peak of citrus harvest season in Kern County right now, but the industry is taking a hit after immigration agents conducted several operations last week, targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. The state farm bureau reports that action made some agriculture workers too afraid to show up for work. “We are certainly very concerned about what is happening and how that is unfolding,” Monterey County Farm Bureau Executive Director Norm Groot said. The Monterey County Farm Bureau said it is keeping a close eye on the developments in the Central Valley. Harvest season in the Salinas Valley begins in late April. The farm bureau said just the threat of deportation could be enough to deter many of the 55,000 migrant workers the valley needs to operate during harvest season. “They’re not going to show up for work and that means crops will remain in the field and not be harvested and probably lost at that point,” Groot said. The farm bureau said that could lead to higher food prices. Immigration Jan 13 Central Valley immigration arrests trigger panic in parts of Bay Area Trump Administration Jan 11 Trump's plan for mass deportation could have a big effect on prices “They were called essential workers during the pandemic when our nation needed them and now they are asking us to be there for them when they need us,” Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo said. The farm bureau joined Monterey County leaders on Wednesday to pledge to do what it can do to protect workers and their families. The Mexican consul general said consulates across the country have a direct order from the president of Mexico to assure the basic rights of undocumented immigrants aren’t violated. “Our growers remain concerned with what is occurring in other counties,” Groot said.