Undocumented farm workers feel they’re being “hunted like animals”, they told the Guardian, as Donald Trump’s administration ramps up its crackdown on immigration.

Raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) have caused workers to lose hours and income, and forced them into hiding at home, according to interviews.

With many US farms reliant on undocumented workers to function, the US president and his administration have sought to reassure their owners in recent months. But Trump’s pledge to put farmers “in charge” of immigration enforcement alarmed workers’ rights advocates, who suggested they were being asked to surrender “their freedom to their employer” just to stay in the country.

“We really feel like we’re being hunted, we’re being hunted like animals,” said an undocumented farm worker in Ventura county, California, who requested to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.

An Ice raid at a cannabis farm in the county last week resulted in a worker suffering severe injuries after falling from a greenhouse and later dying. The raids sparked protests, with federal agents using smoke canisters in a bid to disperse a crowd of hundreds of protesters.

“You can’t go out peacefully to do things, or go to work with any peace of mind anymore. We’re stressed out and our kids are stressed out. No one is the same since these raids started,” the worker added. “We are stressed and worrying if it continues like this, what are we going to do because the rent here is very expensive and it has affected us a lot. How are we going to make ends meet if this continues?”

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said: “President Trump is a tireless advocate for American farmers – they keep our families fed and our country prosperous. He trusts farmers and is committed to ensuring they have the workforce needed to remain successful.”

The Department of Agriculture and Ice did not respond to requests for comment.

Most of the more than 2.6 million farm workers in the US are Hispanic, non-citizen immigrants. Around 40% of US farm workers are estimated to be undocumented.