US immigration crackdown hits Kansas, disrupts beef processing
XLP•Immigration enforcement in southwest Kansas kept workers away from meatpacking jobs and delayed shipments of thousands of cattle, industry groups said. US cattle slaughtering fell 16% on Thursday from a week earlier, to an estimated 90,000 head, the USDA said.
1. Plants face disruptions
Immigration agents operated around meat plants, feedlots and dairies in southwest Kansas this week, prompting workers to stay home over fears of arrest, community organizers and local officials said. Livestock groups said the activity disrupted work and delayed shipments of thousands of cattle.
2. Slaughter falls
Meatpackers slaughtered an estimated 90,000 cattle on Thursday, down 16% from a week earlier, the US Department of Agriculture said. The Kansas Livestock Association, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and Texas Cattle Feeders Association said the disruptions could lead to higher beef prices. National Beef said it was supporting employees and cooperating with the Department of Homeland Security in an orderly way.
