Trump Immigration Policies Reduced Farm Labor Supply in Kansas, Industry CEO Says
Agricultural industry testimony linking federal deportation enforcement to midterm voter behavior in Kansas illustrates how immigration policy translated into direct economic consequences for...
The CEO of the Kansas Livestock Association said this week that President Trump's immigration enforcement policies reduced the available agricultural labor supply in Kansas, affecting farmers and livestock operations across the state, according to a CBS News interview published November 9, 2026 (CBS News).
Mathew Teagarden, who leads the Kansas Livestock Association, spoke directly to the economic effect on Kansas agricultural workers and farmers, stating that Trump's immigration policies may have affected midterm voters in the state. The Kansas Livestock Association represents cattle producers and livestock industry stakeholders in Kansas, one of the nation's leading beef-producing states.
The interview follows a broader pattern of post-midterm analysis examining whether the administration's deportation enforcement alienated rural voters who depend on immigrant labor. Kansas agriculture relies heavily on workers in meatpacking, crop harvesting, and livestock operations, sectors that have historically employed significant numbers of immigrant workers, including those without legal status.
Federal data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2022 Census of Agriculture shows Kansas ranked among the top five states in cattle and calf inventory, with the state's meatpacking industry concentrated in cities including Garden City, Dodge City, and Liberal, communities with large immigrant worker populations. The specific workforce figures for 2025 and 2026, and any documented changes tied to enforcement actions, are not stated in the CBS News report. USDA labor survey records and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operational data for Kansas would be the public documents needed to quantify the workforce change.
Teagarden's comments come days after the 2026 midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, as previously reported by this publication. Trump acknowledged publicly following the midterm results that his deportation policy had been applied too broadly, as covered in Trump Acknowledges Immigration Policy Was 'Too Tough' After Midterm Losses.
The agricultural labor concern is not unique to Kansas. Similar industry objections have been raised in Texas, Florida, Georgia, and California, where growers and livestock producers have argued that aggressive interior enforcement disrupts farm operations. The American Farm Bureau Federation has repeatedly submitted comments to federal agencies noting workforce shortages in agriculture, though specific Kansas-focused federal filings from 2025 or 2026 were not cited in the CBS News report.
The H-2A temporary agricultural worker visa program exists as a legal pathway for farmers to hire foreign workers, but industry groups including the American Farm Bureau have argued the program is too slow and too costly for many smaller operations. U.S. Department of Labor H-2A certification data, available through the Office of Foreign Labor Certification, would show how many Kansas employers sought H-2A workers in 2025 and 2026 and whether applications increased following enforcement actions.
The political dimension of the story centers on whether rural Kansas voters, traditionally a Republican base, registered economic dissatisfaction at the ballot box in November 2026. Teagarden did not specify which races or districts he believed were affected, and no exit poll data breaking down Kansas agricultural community voting patterns by immigration policy concern was cited in the interview.
What remains unknown is the total number of agricultural workers removed from or who departed Kansas under enforcement actions since January 2025, the documented production or revenue losses attributable to those departures, and whether Kansas congressional or state legislative candidates ran on immigration labor concerns. ICE operational records for the Kansas City field office, USDA farm income data for Kansas for 2025 and 2026, and Federal Election Commission filings for Kansas congressional candidates from the 2026 cycle would be the public records needed to answer those questions.