In 2024, Texans, especially working-class and Latino voters, turned out in record numbers to vote for Donald Trump, drawn by his promises to “restore affordability in America on day one.” But just months into his presidency, Trump has abandoned the very families who put him in office. His policies are costing Americans money, jobs, and economic security.
Trump campaigned on lowering costs, but the reality is different. Everyday essentials are becoming more expensive. Your morning coffee costs $2 more than it did last year. Clothes are up 17%. Car prices are climbing even higher. And then there’s the grocery bill.
Trump has proudly said “I won (the election) on groceries,” and he’s right. Two-thirds of Americans concerned about the rising cost of groceries voted for Trump. However, instead of driving costs down, Trump’s tariffs are projected to cost the average American family $4,900 more at the supermarket checkout in 2025. For many rural and working-class families, that means setting aside 40% of their income just to put food on the table.
Now, the looming expiration of the Tomato Suspension Agreement (TSA) on July 14, 2025, threatens to unleash even more financial pain. If the TSA expires, a 21 percent tariff will immediately hit all tomatoes imported from Mexico. This is not just a policy change—it’s an economic disaster for Texas.
The tomato industry contributes more than $4 billion to the Texas economy and supports over 30,000 jobs, from warehouse operators and truck drivers to food processors, inspectors, and the list goes on. South Texas in particular will be significantly skewered. Nearly half of all Mexican tomatoes enter the U.S. through the Pharr, McAllen, Roma, and Laredo ports. The ripple effect of this tariff will devastate local businesses, restaurants, and families. NatureSweet, a major tomato processing company based in San Antonio, warns that if the TSA is not renewed, tomato prices could jump by 50 percent and force them to cut jobs and operational capacity.
Don’t be fooled by claims that U.S. tomato growers will pick up the slack. Displaced workers won’t find new jobs easily. U.S. tomato growers have blatantly stated that they will continue to hire seasonal migrant labor via the H-2A guest worker visa. And even if those jobs did go to Americans, the GOP-aligned American Action Network finds that U.S. growers would have to replace 42,000 to 250,000 acres of existing fruit and vegetable production with tomatoes, something that will take years to accomplish. Meanwhile, the tariffs will continue to reduce our food supply and cost Americans even more money.
Here’s the kicker for South Texas: The tomato tariff isn’t just bad policy—it’s a raw deal that forces hardworking families to pay more at the checkout while gutting an $8
billion nationwide industry that keeps its communities strong. All this just so Washington can pocket $346 million a year, straight from our wallets to the federal government.
With billions of dollars and thousands of jobs on the line, Texas deserves real value and real leadership—not higher prices and empty gestures from politicians. Some of Texas’s current Republican representatives, like Congressman Tony Gonzales and Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz, have been notably quiet on the subject.
Meanwhile, Democratic counterparts are hosting town halls, talking to the media, testifying before state legislature and mobilizing communities. Democratic State Representative Ryan Guillen successfully passed HCR 108, calling on federal officials to reject tariffs on tomatoes.
Texans are fed up. With so many broken promises and rising bills, it’s no wonder that 63% of Texans believe that the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction because of Trump’s policies. Trump’s tariffs and demand for unwavering loyalty from the Republican party is harming the very voters who trusted him. The only way to protect Texas families and the local economy is to vote for new congressional leadership this November.
South Texas can’t afford to wait three more years for a new president. It’s time to hold Trump and his allies accountable, and that means choosing leaders who will stand up to the president and fight for your jobs, your wallets, and your future.
CJ Cetina is the Regional Director of Texas Young Democrats.