Meatpacking groups say ICE arrests could lead to higher prices and
revenue loss
[September 26, 2026] By
HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and VALERIE GONZALEZ
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Meatpacking industry groups raised concerns Friday
that recent heightened immigration operations in Texas, Kansas and
Oklahoma have caused employees to miss work, leading to problems at
meat-related businesses that could ultimately raise prices for
consumers.
The Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association
and Kansas Livestock Association said in a statement that U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations have prompted delays in
the shipment of thousands of cattle, resulting in millions of dollars in
lost revenue. The groups say ICE operations have disrupted operations at
feedlots, dairy processors, feed and grain companies, and transportation
hubs.
Scarlett Mabinger, the vice president of communications for the Kansas
Livestock Association, said they have received multiple calls from their
members reporting an increase in absences at their southwest Kansas
businesses after these communities noticed an increase in federal
immigration officers this week.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed their presence in Kansas
but said they are not conducting worksite raids.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement that ICE has been
“targeting heinous criminals,” but he didn't give a breakdown on the
number of people arrested.
Several meatpacking plants in the Kansas cities of Dodge City, Liberal
and Garden City typically process thousands of cattle every day, but
Mabinger said some had to shut down temporarily and send cattle back to
feedlots.
“So then they’re having to be returned back to the feed yard to wait,
which, of course, causes an animal health issue, causes financial
issues," she said.
The Kansas Livestock Association did not receive reports of arrests
happening at worksites, but community members started noticing the
arrival of officers on Tuesday.
Amy Soberanes, a 25-year-old community organizer in Dodge City, Kansas,
has been helping deliver food to people who are afraid to leave their
homes. She said cleaning crews stopped showing up at some locations,
forcing plants to close.
“I have worked with so many moms who have told me that they don’t know
what they’re gonna do because their provider has been taken,” Soberanes
said. “I have seen kids cry to me because their mom and dad are gone. It
brought a lot of hurt, and a lot of pain, and a lot of trauma for our
community."
Several of the Kansas cities where ICE enforcement appears to have
increased have large Hispanic populations. Their populations have risen
in the last decade from new immigrant arrivals, mostly from Cuba and
Haiti, according to federal data obtained and analyzed by The Associated
Press.
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A federal agent wears an Immigration and Customs Enforcement badge
in New York, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
 Voters in these counties heavily
favored Donald Trump in the last election, with more than 65%
casting ballots in favor of the Republican Party.
Republican politicians, who typically have sided with Trump on
immigration, are making careful pivots in their messaging.
Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican incumbent in a tight race
against a Democrat, and Sen. Jerry Moran said they were both
concerned and urged the federal administration to coordinate with
local authorities. “Secretary Mullin assured me these warrants are
only for the purpose of arresting individuals who have been charged
with criminal activities,” Moran said in a statement shared on
social media.
The administration has repeated claims of targeting immigrants with
criminal histories, but recent data suggests more than half of those
arrested in July had not been convicted of any crimes and were not
facing any criminal charges. Less than a quarter of those arrested
had been convicted of a crime.
Members of the Kansas Livestock Association are urging federal
officials to conduct more targeted enforcement actions and provide
more transparency.
Beef prices have soared to record highs in the past year, largely
thanks to the smallest national herd in 75 years. The Trump
administration has made efforts to bring down prices, like allowing
some beef imports without high tariffs and reopening the border to
cattle from Mexico, which had been closed because of an outbreak of
a pest that can be deadly to cattle called the New World screwworm.
“If it continues for a long enough period of time, then it could
therefore lead to increased prices, because we are not processing
the amount of beef that consumers are currently demanding,” Mabinger
said.
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Gonzalez reported from McAllen, Texas.
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