US agricultural organizations warn of price increases due to immigration policy

Last month, federal immigration agents began conducting raids in agricultural communities in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. Representatives of the livestock sector issued a joint statement warning that aggressive arrests and deportations of workers would cause a rise in prices for beef and other staple products.

The American agricultural sector traditionally relies on the labor of non-citizens, including seasonal migrants under the H-2A program and undocumented workers. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, last year farmers posted 415,000 job openings but received only 182 domestic applications from US citizens.

Against the backdrop of the labor shortage, three livestock organizations—the Kansas Livestock Association, the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, and the Texas Cattle Feeders Association—jointly pointed out on September 25 the detrimental impact of ICE operations on legal and skilled personnel. According to them, this poses a threat to the livestock supply chain and leads to higher product costs for consumers.

Federal immigration agents have also stepped up their work in other states with large-scale agriculture, such as California, Oregon, Florida, and New Jersey. Due to labor pressure and the cost-of-living crisis, support for the administration's policies among some farmers, voters, and officials is beginning to decline ahead of the midterm elections on November 3.