Workers are worried about Trump's immigration policies, and so are some in industry.

We know that farmers overwhelmingly supported President-Elect Donald Trump in this election. But how does that support square with how his immigration policy could impact the agricultural workforce? And perhaps the more pointed question might be: If Trump goes through with his campaign promises, who exactly will provide the bulk of the labor that goes into producing our food?

A Diminished U.S. Food Industry?

Undocumented workers are behind a lot of the food we eat in this country. There are about 2.5 million U.S. farm and agricultural workers and the estimates of how many are undocumented vary greatly. The U.S. Department of Labor puts the number at 30 percent, but other interpretations of this data, put it much higher—at 50 percent or more. And the nonprofit Farmworker Justice notes that such government figures are likely underreported because people are reluctant to answer questions about immigration status.

According to the Pew Research Center, about 20 percent of those working in meat processing and food service jobs—including waiting tables, washing dishes, and other restaurant and food prep jobs—are unauthorized immigrants. In total, about twice as many unauthorized immigrants work in food—including meat-processing as do U.S.-born workers. The same is true of those working as cooks. Altogether, low-wage food system jobs employ upwards of 5 or 6 million workers, so even the most conservative estimate of undocumented workers is significant.

President-elect Trump has talked about immediately deporting 2 to 3 million undocumented immigrants who have criminal records. In addition to widespread deportations, Trump has also promised to set limits on new immigrants. His advisers include Kris Knobach, who helped draft birthplace documentation and immigration laws in Kansas and Arizona that were struck down by courts for violating civil rights.