That hurts my bottom line. All across the state, where much of the economy rides on the hooves of cattle and hogs, communities are reeling from the wallop of a newly aggressive Immigration and Naturalization Service. Agents under the name Operation Vanguard are trying to sweep undocumented workers from the meatpacking business, the state's largest industry and one notorious for hiring unauthorized workers. A political outcry has ensued, once again exposing the frailty of support for enforcing immigration laws in the nation's interior. Analysts say the popularity of stopping undocumented foreigners at the border wilts as the immigrants blend into the fabric of local economies.
Complex currents influence the debate here.
Once-isolated farm communities have become dependent on foreign markets and imported labor, creating new tensions. Many long-time locals resent the economic power of the meatpacking industry, which also fuels the demand for unskilled labor. And immigrants feel harassed for doing work that natives have rejected. Elsewhere, earlier federal efforts to enforce work visas have crumbled under attacks from many sides. But immigration officials say Vanguard is a cornerstone of a new strategy.