Kansas Gov. Kelly joined UFCW Local 2 members for town hall following ICE operations in southwest Kansas
More than a week following several instances of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent activity in Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal in southwest Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly joined United Food and Commercial Workers Local 2 meatpacking members Oct. 5 for a town hall event.
The event discussed recent activity in the area, and Kelly said the situation wasn’t an easy one.
“The schools, the businesses, the arts, the very economy of southwest Kansas thrive because of the influx, the integration, and the influence of the multinational makeup of this region,” she said. “But all of you here, and the generations before you, are to be celebrated and appreciated for all that you have contributed to the well-being of this region and the state we all call home.”
Kelly disagreed with the agency’s tactics.
“Under no circumstance should you have been subjected to the wanton abuse of power you experienced two weeks ago,” she said.
UFCW Local 2 President Martin Rosas called Kelly a friend to the area and especially the workers of the state of Kansas throughout her tenure as governor.
“I want to emphasize throughout this conversation that it’s good for us to go and show our discontent with the administration, but the best way to show our discontent with this administration is to register to vote,” Rosas said.
According to UFCW Local 2, the presence of ICE agents in southwest Kansas from Sept. 22 to 25 led to “a significant downfall” in operations in the area’s meatpacking plants, with some facilities reducing operations, while others temporarily closed altogether.
In response to the agency’s enforcement tactics, UFCW Local 2 and the UFCW International Union released statements condemning the operations and highlighting the negative impacts they have on UFCW members and the community.
The Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Kansas Livestock Association, and Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association have also spoken out, noting in their news release, “These ICE operations are having a massive chilling effect on the legal, documented, skilled workers that put beef on the table and keep the cattle supply chain moving.”
UFCW Local 2 said in a news release, that a recent report from the AFL-CIO found that if the mass deportation plans being executed by the Trump administration continue, nearly 6 million jobs, nearly half of which are currently held by U.S. citizens, could be wiped out. It is estimated that mass deportations could raise prices by 9.1% by 2028.
In cities where ICE arrests increased fastest in 2025, employment fell 0.4% below its expected trajectory, and not just among immigrants, but among native-born Americans as well. Based on arrest and job loss data, for every arrest made, four jobs were lost, UFCW Local 2 said.
Kylene Scott can be reached at 620-227-1804 or [email protected].
