‘Are we great yet?’: Gee and Ursula question Trump as fear of ICE deters local cherry pickers
Jun 22, 2025, 5:00 AM
Workers pull leaves from a bin of freshly picked cherries on May 21, 2018. (Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)
(Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)
It is officially cherry season. However, this year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids are impacting the local cherry harvest. Central Washington cherry growers told FOX 13 Thursday that a fear of ICE is keeping pickers away from the fields.
“The Trump administration, as we have been reporting, has been flip-flopping on whether farm workers should be targeted,” KIRO host Ursula Reutin said.
Trump changes mind on ICE raids, impacting local cherry harvest
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Ursula explained on “The Gee and Ursula Show” that President Donald Trump sent Homeland Security an email telling agents to pause all worksite enforcement involving agriculture, but then later changed that decision and told ICE officials to continue raids at farms, hotels, and restaurants.
Washington is the nation’s top producer of sweet cherries, according to FOX 13. Therefore, fewer workers mean less supply, leading to more expensive prices.
“Are we great yet?” KIRO host Gee Scott asked before delving into a broader examination of the Trump administration. “We’ve had nothing but turmoil since we started this year. And the goal and the plan was to do what? It was real simple at that time. It was groceries, it was gas.”
Ursula jumped in, “Immigration, so maybe that’s one thing. The number of people crossing the border illegally, I believe, is down dramatically.”
Listen to the full conversation below.
Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.
