Immigrants drive Nebraska's economy. Trump's mass deportations pledge is a threat

[riversedge]

Source: npr




January 17, 20251:28 PM ET Jasmine Garsd



LINCOLN, Neb. — Every so often, Al Juhnke, executive director of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association, says he'll get a phone call from one of his farmers about how to solve Nebraska's severe labor shortage..

It goes something like this: "Al, I got a great idea. Why don't we invite any immigrants? Legal, illegal … I don't care. Invite them to Nebraska because we have lots of openings out on our farm and we need help."

Juhnke smiles wearily as he tells the story.

Nebraska is one of the top meat producers in the U.S. It also has one of the worst labor shortages in the country. For every 100 jobs, there are only 39 workers, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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Last January, the state's economic chamber released a report saying Nebraska had no choice but to welcome immigrants to "address the workforce gap."

Nebraska might need immigrants, but it also voted overwhelmingly for President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to carry out mass deportations of people living in the U.S. illegally.......................

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/01/17/g-s1-42134/immigration-trump-mass-deportation-nebraska-economy-workers

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We have a somewhat similar situation here in WI were many immigrants are employed on the dairy farms. The locals just do not want to farm/milk cows--so the immigrants staff many farms.