Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in southwest Kansas's beef-packing towns have delayed the processing of thousands of fed cattle and cost producers millions of dollars in lost revenue, livestock groups say.

ICE began an enforcement action in Dodge City, Garden City/Holcomb and Liberal, the region's "Golden Triangle" of meatpacking, home to Cargill, National Beef and Tyson Foods plants with capacity of about 24,000 head a day, more than 20% of US fed-cattle slaughter. USDA daily reports showed slaughter down 9% on Wednesday and nearly 16% on Thursday, with 8,000 fewer head processed on 23 September and 17,000 fewer on 24 September than a week earlier.

The cattlemen's groups said the operations are having "a massive chilling effect" on legal, documented workers, with disruptions at feedyards, dairies, processors, feed and grain companies and transport hubs, and warned that effects can last for days or weeks and push beef prices higher. They asked for enforcement that is lawful, orderly and transparent.

The action comes as the administration tries to lower beef prices, including by temporarily removing tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of imported beef trim. Local officials in the three cities said they were not told in advance.

Kansas Republican senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall called on ICE to coordinate with local law enforcement. Moran said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin assured him the warrants were only for people charged with crimes. The report is by Chris Clayton.

Photo: Billy Hathorn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Source: DTN / Progressive Farmer