Financial Hardship Compounds Deportation Fears Among Farmworkers in the Central Valley, California

In California's Central Valley, most agricultural workers laboring in fields are immigrants, and about 36% are undocumented, according to the Department of Labor data, which could negatively affect their mental health.

However, immigration status  is not the only cause of stress and, worry, or anxiety. Anxiety is compounded by economic factors. Research has found that financial worries are linked to psychological distress — especially among the unemployed and lower-income wage earners. 

Juan, who has been a farmworker nearly his whole life, starting at age 15 and now at 40, acknowledges that talking about what’s on his mind can be a great help.

"Low wages… low wages… maybe with a little more you’d feel more motivated to keep working… expenses would be a bit lighter…I imagine we all have had that need to talk to someone… so sometimes talking and discussing it helps."

Still, he admits that seeking professional help has not been a priority in his life.

"I haven’t considered it… but many people sometimes need help and don’t seek it out… it’s a reality… sometimes we just refuse to look for that help. It’s mostly because we lack information, we don’t know who to turn to… and sometimes, if your lifestyle means you don’t earn enough, you think a psychologist is too expensive.

According to Antonio De Loera from the Farm Workers Union, "To improve farmworkers' health, it would be necessary to raise wages so that a worker laboring 40 hours a week can provide food, shelter, and healthcare for their family.:

According to a study published by the UC Merced Community and Labor Center, from 2017 to 2022 there was a significant increase in the average income of farmworkers, rising from $18,872 to $24,871 annually. In 2025, wages are higher but still insufficient considering the cost of living in the state.

"The average yearly salay in California is 27 thousand dollars … which is below the poverty line in California," De Loera says.

Psychotherapist Leonardo Garcia points out that there are ways to receive mental health services in California’s Central Valley at very low cost.

"A person with Medi-Cal pays zero dollars, most Medi-Cal programs have no copay; if there is one, it might be $5, $10, or at most $30, but generally, Medi-Cal programs have zero-dollar copays." At the time of publishing this story, California

In 2025, California is considering requiring undocumented adults to pay a $100 monthly premium for Medi-Cal coverage. This proposal, included in Governor Newsom's budget plan, aims to partially cover the costs of expanded coverage for undocumented immigrants. While some argue it's a necessary step to manage budget strains, others criticize it as a barrier to essential healthcare access

Experts say that Latino cultural norms, where the man is the family provider, combined with lack of information, play an important role preventing workers from seeking psychological help.

"People usually go to the doctor for medical problems, but when it comes to mental health, they sometimes don’t take the initiative to seek help, as I said, due to lack of information or the stigma of what people will say, or what the family will say. If a person seeks help, they may feel they will be seen as weak or even called crazy because of the lack of information," says Garcia.

Two reasons that Juan agrees with.

"Well, since you’re a kid, people close to you tell you, 'tough it out, you’re a man,' or 'don’t cry, you’re strong,' and sometimes we all need help. Because the first thing… well in my case the first thought is… ah… maybe seeing a psychologist is very expensive… maybe I don’t need anything, I’m fine. So that’s the voice that talks to you… that voice tells you, 'No, it’ll pass… you’ll be fine soon.'"

 In a 2022 survey conducted by the University of Merced, interviewing over 1,100 farmworkers, men and women, 15.4% of men reported feeling nervous, anxious, or tense, compared to 19.4% of women, which may suggest men avoid acknowledging these emotions for the reasons mentioned.

This problem is not new; it has existed for many years, but in 2020 everything got worse.

Juan says: "After the pandemic, prices skyrocketed, so the outlook is difficult, and it’s unlikely to improve soon. 2025… with the arrival of this year also came a change in the U.S. government, with stricter policies especially toward the undocumented Latino community… in these fields, fear begins to be felt… fear of deportation."

According to Juan Garcia, medical psychologist, "the new administration, the government is scaring people… accusing them of being drug addicts, violent, saying they’ll catch them at work and send them back to their countries… this has the community very afraid. But now, more than ever, it is important to know that you are not alone… there are resources available in California’s Central Valley. We in Fresno are here to help the community. Our number is 559-497-5056. We are available to educate, to go out to the small towns, to go to their workplaces.

Juan, like many farmworkers, hopes that their hard work in the fields will be better valued, allowing better working conditions and fair wages for such demanding labor, and only then to improve their mental health because he recognizes its importance.

Juan says: "If your mental health is bad, your world collapses… your world collapses… so the change must come from inside, from your mind, so that you see everything around you with a better attitude and do everything better."

This project was supported by the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, and is part of “Healing California”, a yearlong reporting Ethnic Media Collaborative venture with print, online, podcast and broadcast outlets across California.