The lack of agricultural labor in California, stemming from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, is being blamed for the growing shortage of fruits and vegetables in San Diego — a situation already affecting small businesses and community organizations across the region.

At a small distribution store in South San Diego, located in a strip mall between a Chinese restaurant and an auto parts shop, shelves and refrigerators once filled with watermelons, potatoes, apples and other produce now sit with fewer supplies.

“The products are arriving overripe; they’re taking too long to harvest, and it’s not being picked on time,” said Robert, who manages the store. He noted that the quality and freshness of produce have declined significantly since the start of the year.

Robert attributes the issue to the shortage of farmworkers in the fields, which has left growers without enough manpower to bring in their crops. As a result, he said, local markets face shortages and higher prices. According to Robert, much of the produce that is harvested is shipped to major supermarket chains or exported abroad, while food banks and small distribution centers are receiving fewer donations.

At the San Diego Food Bank, volunteers confirmed to Border Report that they are seeing fewer fresh products compared to previous years. The organization’s management declined to comment on whether ICE raids are contributing to the decline.

“The quality isn’t good. Some of the produce arrives spoiled, it doesn’t last long on the shelves, and we end up throwing a lot of it away,” Robert said, adding that rising prices have also led to fewer customers coming through the door.

The store manager expects shortages and higher costs to persist as long as ICE operations continue in the fields.

Reporting from FOX 5 San Diego.