For this story, John Woodrow Cox interviewed more than 40 farmers across the country. He and photographer Matt McClain reported from Colorado while Sarah Blaskey talked to more than two dozen employees at the U.S. Agriculture Department and reviewed hundreds of documents and records that revealed the extent of the cuts and freezes. June 21, 2025 at 6:05 a.m. EDT
“The federal government had promised JJ a $200,000 grant, spread across two years, to cover the cost of a seasonal farmhand from Latin America. In a place where local, legal help was nearly impossible to keep, the extra worker would give him the freedom to handle more jobs and invest in his own equipment. It was an opportunity that could transform his family’s future, but, JJ explained to his friend, President Donald Trump had frozen the money.”
If he voted for Trump, I’m glad he lost it.
