Love to Eat and Live in a Well-built City? Meatpackers, Farms, and Builders are Reeling from Immigration Raids

Recent immigration enforcement actions are highlighting a long-running tension between President Trump’s aggressive deportation policy and the labor needs of industries that rely heavily on undocumented workers.

At Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha, Nebraska, federal agents arrested about 75 workers in a single raid last Tuesday, roughly half of the meat processor’s production staff. The plant operated at just 15% of capacity the next day, forcing managers to scramble to fill orders with a minimal crew.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Glenn Valley Foods’ Chief Executive, Gary Rohwer, said the industry cannot function without immigrant labor: “Without them, there wouldn’t be an industry,” he said. This raises questions about how far the administration’s hostility toward immigrants—many of whom are clearly not criminals but farm and construction workers—will go. It also begs the question: Do they really understand the risks they’re taking by pushing this policy so aggressively?

This raid is part of a broader crackdown that is creating friction inside the administration itself. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) instructed immigration officers to pause arrests at sites like farms and hotels, aiming to limit disruption to the food supply — clearly, they love to eat too, right? — but within days, DHS leadership reinforced that large-scale deportations remain a priority and that worksite raids are still a key tool.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized in a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that officers will be judged by how many arrests they make, and “failure is not an option.” ICE said it will continue targeting worksites, especially those suspected of hiring people with criminal records.

Business leaders and trade groups have pushed back, warning of labor shortfalls and higher food costs if the policy persists. Industries including agriculture, meatpacking, construction, and hospitality depend heavily on undocumented labor. Goldman Sachs estimates these workers make up 4.4% of the total U.S. workforce, but their share is far higher in certain jobs: 19% in landscaping, 17% in crop production, and 16% in animal slaughtering and processing.

Raids have disrupted operations well beyond Omaha. In Florida, more than 100 workers were arrested at a student housing construction site in Tallahassee, halting work and risking millions in project delays. Project supervisor Joe Caliendo said, “They hire [these workers] because nobody else will do the work they do or work as hard as they do.”

Despite industry pleas for temporary work visas and a more measured approach, President Trump has doubled down. In recent comments, he argued that undocumented immigrants depress wages and take jobs from American citizens. “We must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities,” he wrote on Truth Social, singling out Democratic-led cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.

Meanwhile, recent raids have rattled communities and spread fear among workers. “They are hardworking, show up on time, don’t complain,” Rohwer said of his staff. “If you take the Hispanics out of this country, it’s going to be terrible.”