ICE Enforcement Hits Kansas Meatpacking Operations, Ranchers Say | Today’s news
(Bloomberg) — Increased enforcement by U.S. immigration authorities is creating significant disruption to beef operations in Kansas, an area where nearly all of the nation’s major processors are based.
Thousands of cattle scheduled to be shipped to beef processors have been affected by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, according to a joint statement from rancher industry groups. Disruptions were also reported at “numerous critical points in the supply chain” from beef processors to feed and grain companies, according to the statement.
“These ICE operations have a huge chilling effect on the legal, documented and skilled workers who put beef on the table and keep the cattle supply chain moving,” the Kansas Livestock Association, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and Texas Cattle Feeders Association said.
The outages come at a time when the U.S. is already grappling with tight beef supplies due to a small herd of cattle, which has driven consumer prices to record highs. Much of the U.S. meat industry depends on immigrant labor: 45% of meatpacking workers at the start of the pandemic were foreign-born, according to the American Immigration Council.
ICE has been ramping up its arrests in recent months after a spring lull in the wake of the fatal shootings that killed two U.S. citizens in January. In July and August, ICE agents made roughly 50,000 arrests a month, according to federal arrest data and information from the Department of Homeland Security.
ICE changed its operational approach, moving away from deploying federal agents to target a specific city. Instead, newly expanded lines sweep across the country looking for those wanted for deportation, but also arresting anyone they suspect of being in the country without permission.
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not respond to a request for comment.
A spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers said workers at Cargill Inc. and National Beef were held back. The actions took place in the surrounding community, the spokesman said Friday, adding that immigration officials tried but were unable to enter the parking lot of the meatpacking facility because they did not have a permit.
There has been a “significant decrease” in operations at plants in the area due to an increase in employee absenteeism, the spokeswoman said.
National cattle slaughter figures reached 90,000 on Thursday, down 17,000 from a week ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Kansas is the second largest state for commercial cattle processing. More than half a million cattle were slaughtered there in August, accounting for more than 20% of U.S. processing that month, according to a USDA report Thursday.
National Beef, owned by Brazil’s MBRF Global Foods Co., and Cargill have operations in Dodge City, and National Beef also operates in Liberal. Tyson Foods Inc. also has a plant in Holcomb.
Cargill declined to comment. National Beef and Tyson did not respond to requests for comment.
–With help from Erin Ailworth.
More such stories are available at bloomberg.com
