Idaho dairy sector relies on undocumented workers as Trump immigration crackdown raises fears

In Idaho’s dairy heartland, undocumented labor underpins roughly 90% of the workforce, according to Rick Naerebout of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. Although ICE planes land twice a week at Twin Falls airport, the state has seen only one sizable raid, and most farms have escaped the broader Trump immigration crackdown. Nevertheless, growers struggle to recruit local workers, with only four residents applying for 7,500 H2A visas last year.

Activists like Heather Muth and Susan Rios describe the chilling effect of the deportations on their communities, while attorney Brandy Perez attributes the relative calm to the industry’s political influence. A bipartisan GOP bill to remove seasonal limits on agricultural visas remains stalled, leaving the dairy sector uncertain about future labor availability.