Turning Point USA is shining a spotlight on a growing crisis facing America’s farming communities, showing family farms along the southern border are being squeezed by rising costs, foreign competition and criminal organizations that have infiltrated the agricultural economy. The group’s latest Frontlines documentary focuses on southern New Mexico, where ranchers and farmers warn that the survival of their industry is increasingly at risk.
The 17-minute documentary, narrated by Frontlines TPUSA, features interviews with multi-generational ranching and farming families who say economic pressures have made it increasingly difficult to continue operations that have been passed down for decades.
“The American farm is the bedrock of our nation, a symbol of independence and hard work,” the documentary opens. “But across the borderlands, that foundation is cracking.” Farmers interviewed throughout the film describe struggling with rising fertilizer costs, shrinking profit margins and an influx of lower-cost agricultural imports from Mexico.
One farmer explained that despite producing food domestically, American growers often cannot compete on price.
“You would think that we would be able to produce food and sell it to our own country cheaper. But we can’t,” he said, blaming the large volume of imported produce entering from Mexico. Another added that the financial uncertainty has made him question whether farming remains sustainable despite his passion for the profession.
“I love bloody fingers and dirty fingernails,” he said. “It’s the not being able to pay my bills part that gets to weighing pretty heavy.”
WATCH:
CORPORATE CARTELS VS. AMERICAN FARMERS: On New Mexico’s southern border, multi-generational ranching and farming families are watching their way of life disappear.
Farmers are being squeezed by skyrocketing fertilizer costs, intense foreign competition, and mounting debt that’s… pic.twitter.com/SpfHIHgDCt
— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) July 11, 2026
The documentary points to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, noting that more than 140,000 farms closed nationwide while New Mexico experienced the largest percentage decline of any state. According to the film, the industry’s consolidation has left fewer family-owned farms while the nation’s largest agricultural operations continue expanding.
A central focus of the documentary is the claim that Mexican drug cartels have expanded into legitimate agricultural businesses as a way to launder proceeds from criminal enterprises. The filmmakers feature Luna County Magistrate Judge Scott Chandler and County Commissioner Colette Chandler, who argue that cartel money has increasingly flowed into farming operations south of the border.
“When they’re using trafficking human money or trafficking drug money to buy hay farms, buy onions, buy chili, and then send it to us, American companies can’t be expected to compete against that,” Chandler said.
The Chandlers contend that as border enforcement has reduced illegal crossings under President Donald Trump’s second administration, criminal organizations have increasingly turned toward legitimate industries as alternative methods of laundering money. They allege that agricultural commodities have become an attractive vehicle because they are easy to transport and consistently in demand.
“They are taking over pretty much everything that looks like a legitimate business and laundering blood money and dirty money through that,” Chandler said.
Several farmers also argued that trade policies have placed American producers at a disadvantage. Don Hartman, a second-generation farmer, recalled that after the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect, imported jalapeños sharply undercut domestic prices.
“We used to grow jalapenos here for 16 cents a pound,” Hartman said. “When they passed NAFTA, they immediately dropped the price to nine cents because they could get it cheaper down there.”
Third-generation farmer Colvier Montes proposed implementing seasonal tariffs that would temporarily protect American growers while their crops are being harvested.
“When the American farmer, we should have priority in this country. And we don’t. That’s wrong,” Montes said. He also argued that U.S. farmers face stricter environmental and labor regulations than many foreign competitors, making it harder to remain competitive.
The documentary also highlights concerns over fertilizer prices, which farmers say have surged amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Interviewees note that much of the world’s fertilizer supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making global conflicts capable of driving up production costs for American agriculture. Farmers say those higher costs are often absorbed by producers rather than reflected in higher profits at the farm level.
Ranchers further criticized consolidation within the meat processing industry, arguing that a handful of major companies capture most of the profits while family producers struggle to remain viable. One rancher said consumers often assume higher grocery store prices benefit farmers, when in reality much of the revenue never reaches producers.
