< Previous > NextOpEd: Deportation policies are crippling America’s livestock & meat sector The real cost of deportation to the livestock industry and its communities16 September 2025 16 September 2025 4 minute read 4 minute read By: By: Phil Kafarakis North AmericaPhil Kafarakis, CEO at IFMAThe U.S. livestock and meat sectors are staring down a labor crisis. As federal immigration officials prepare to deport more than one million undocumented workers, meatpackers, dairies, poultry processors and cattle operations are bracing for severe workforce disruption. In meat and poultry processing, estimates run as high as 50% of frontline staff. Red meat and poultry processing are the most exposed, due to their size, labor intensity, and lack of automation alternatives. Without a rapid policy pivot, the livestock and meat industries will face higher operating costs, tighter labor markets and greater supply volatility.