HeadlinesBriefing favicon HeadlinesBriefing.com

Wisconsin Dairy Farmer's Immigration Policy Dilemma

New York Times Top Stories •
×

Republican dairy farmer Tim O'Harrow, 79, faces a political dilemma as his Wisconsin farm with 1,600 cows depends on immigrant workers he can no longer support due to Republican anti-immigration policies. For 20 years, O'Harrow has acknowledged that America's food supply relies on immigrant labor, but his party has moved in the opposite direction.

Immigrant workers produce 79% of the nation's milk supply, and without them, milk prices would double. The dairy industry, which employs over 10,000 undocumented immigrants in Wisconsin alone, represents a critical economic sector facing potential collapse under current immigration enforcement despite contributing significantly to the national food supply chain.

The 79-year-old farmer who supported Republican politicians for decades now questions his party affiliation, saying "I don't know that I'm a Republican anymore." His family farm exemplifies the growing rift between agricultural economics and Republican immigration policy, particularly in Wisconsin where 95% of Republicans support mass deportation despite the industry's dependence on immigrant labor.