US Immigration Crackdown Disrupts Beef Processing in Kansas

An immigration enforcement operation in southwest Kansas has disrupted the US beef industry, with many workers staying away from meat-processing plants over fears of arrest, according to community organizers, local officials and livestock groups.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents carried out operations this week around Dodge City, Liberal and Garden City, areas with large Latino populations and major concentrations of cattle feedlots and slaughterhouses.

Community organizers said the prospect of arrest kept many immigrant workers away from their jobs, forcing meat-processing plants to slow production and leaving thousands of cattle waiting to be processed.

The Kansas Livestock Association, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and Texas Cattle Feeders Association said the operations had disrupted workers at processors, feedlots, dairies and grain companies and delayed shipments of thousands of cattle.

The groups warned that continued disruption could contribute to higher beef prices for consumers.

The US Department of Agriculture estimated that about 90,000 cattle were slaughtered on Thursday, down 16% from the same day a week earlier, while Friday’s slaughter was estimated at 87,000, down 14%.

Kansas is the second-largest state for commercial cattle processing in the US, behind Nebraska.

The disruption comes as US beef prices are already at record levels. A prolonged drought has reduced the national cattle herd to a 75-year low, while restrictions on cattle imports from Mexico have further tightened supplies.

Two major beef processors, National Beef Packing Company and Cargill, operate plants in Dodge City, while National Beef also has a facility in Liberal.

National Beef said it was supporting its employees and cooperating with the Department of Homeland Security in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, local officials reported that some businesses and schools had also been affected by the immigration enforcement activity. Liberal Vice Mayor Janeth Vazquez said many workers stayed home and some children did not attend school because of concerns over their parents' immigration status.

US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on social media that ICE operations in Kansas were targeting people he described as serious criminals and individuals with final removal orders. He also said ICE was not conducting workplace operations in Kansas.

Reuters said it could not independently verify the immigration status or criminal records of people whose arrests were highlighted by Mullin.

The developments have raised concerns within the cattle industry that immigration enforcement could further disrupt an already constrained beef supply chain and place additional pressure on prices.

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