In late September, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents swarmed southwestern Kansas, where a large immigrant population is vital to the region's massive livestock industry.
The crackdown was disruptive. Businesses closed, and workers missed shifts, according to a local public radio report. The Kansas Livestock Association said the ICE operations were "having a massive chilling effect on the legal, documented, skilled workers that put beef on the table," and warned that the "unwelcome political interference" would cause prices to rise for consumers. Local officials said they were not given advance notice of the enforcement efforts.
