Cattlemen are discovering there’s an unfortunate, if somewhat predictable, consequence of the Trump administration‘s massive crackdowns on immigrants. Many of their workers are immigrants, making up roughly 40-65% of their largely Hispanic workforce.
All of which means ICE deporting thousands of people and creating an environment of fear where even workers in the country legally are terrified of being scooped up in a raid isn’t good for the beef business.
A joint media statement from the Kansas Livestock Association, the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, and the Texas Cattle Feeders Association lays it all out. They say that while they “respect the responsibility of federal agencies to enforce the law”, they also “depend on a stable workforce” to make a profit.
“Millions of dollars in lost revenue”
They go on to allege that “ICE operations are having a massive chilling effect on the legal documented, skilled workers that put beef on the table,” and point out that “sudden workforce disruptions” (presumably unannounced and aggressive ICE raids) are having a huge negative impact on the already troubled domestic beef industry.
The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association in a joint statement says ICE actions are causing shipping delays of fed cattle, resulting in millions of dollars in losses along with workforce disruptions in feedlots, dairies and other supply chain choke points. https://t.co/WoBM0ipzkg
— Tara Blume (@tcblume) September 25, 2026
The latter singles out that over “the last few days” alone, ICE activity has resulted in “thousands of fed cattle slated for shipping to processors now delayed, resulting in millions of dollars in lost revenue and additional costs,” as well as huge disruption at “numerous supply chain chokepoints.”
They urge the Trump administration to see that this is a “costly and unnecessary impact to cattle producers already suffering from unwelcome political interference” (it’s unclear precisely what this refers to, but a likely candidate is Trump’s controversial approval of cheap foreign beef imports).
The cattlemen conclude: “We urge federal officials to conduct enforcement actions in a lawful, orderly and transparent manner; respect due to process; and communicate clearly with affected employers and communities”
The Department of Homeland Security has angrily countered this, telling News on 6 that they are merely “targeting heinous criminals including murderers, rapists, and drug traffickers and illegal aliens with final orders of removal.”
Michael Kelsey, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, explained that there’s a culture of fear among their employees that’s heavily disrupting business. As per News on 6: “What this is about is a disruption of the beef supply chain. We’re dealing with a live animal, and when you have live cattle that are slotted to be harvested at certain times — when that’s disrupted, that causes significant stress on the entire supply chain. We’ve got documented, legal employees that are not showing up to work. And they’re afraid because there’s no communication, there’s no transparency.”
