Status as of September 29, 2026. Idaho dairy employers say immigration enforcement is adding pressure to an already tight agricultural labor market. NPR reported that ICE-contracted flights continue through Twin Falls even though the state has not seen large-scale raids on dairy farms. At the same time, the H-2A visa program generally does not cover the permanent year-round labor needs of milk production because federal law limits it to temporary or seasonal agricultural work.

The situation in southern Idaho illustrates a broader labor problem facing year-round agriculture. Dairy producers rely heavily on immigrant workers, while the main federal temporary agricultural visa program is structured around seasonal or temporary jobs. Immigration enforcement has so far affected Idaho agriculture differently from some large enforcement operations elsewhere, but farmers, workers and immigration advocates told NPR that uncertainty is increasing.

ICE-contracted flights continue through Twin Falls

NPR reported on September 28 that ICE-contracted aircraft are arriving at the Twin Falls airport on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Immigration-rights activists have been documenting the flights and the movement of detainees from vans to aircraft.

One activist, Heather Muth, told NPR that she had observed more than two dozen detainees in shackles being placed aboard one flight. NPR reported that the aircraft was headed to other federal detention facilities.

The distinction matters because ICE Air Operations handles both domestic transfers between detention facilities and international removals. ICE's own Air Operations materials describe charter aircraft as being used to move detainees within the United States as well as to carry out removals from the country.

Muth told NPR that repeated transfers can make it harder for families and attorneys to determine where a detained person is being held. That is her characterization of the effect of the flights; ICE did not provide NPR with a response addressing that allegation.

Large dairy raids have not been reported in Idaho

According to NPR, Idaho has not experienced the type of large workplace enforcement operations seen in some other parts of the country during the current administration.

NPR reported one known large ICE operation in Idaho since President Trump returned to office: an enforcement action connected to an alleged illegal gambling operation at a horse-racing facility used by many farmworkers. The report said no large raids on farms or dairies had been documented in the state during that period.

That does not mean immigration enforcement is absent. Arrests, detention, transfers and removal operations continue, and the Twin Falls flights provide a visible example of ICE activity in the region.

Idaho dairy depends heavily on foreign-born labor

The Idaho Dairymen's Association says the state has about 353 dairy operations and that approximately 90% of jobs on dairy farms are filled by foreign-born workers.

That figure should not be confused with immigration status. The association's public statistics describe workers as foreign-born, not undocumented.

Rick Naerebout, chief executive of the Idaho Dairymen's Association, separately told NPR that he estimates as many as 90% of workers on the state's dairy farms may lack legal immigration status. That is an industry representative's estimate, not an official government count.

Naerebout told NPR that dairy work is physically demanding and often performed outdoors, and that producers have difficulty attracting enough U.S. workers to fill available positions.

Why H-2A does not solve the year-round dairy labor problem

The H-2A program allows agricultural employers to hire foreign workers when there are not enough available U.S. workers, but the job must be temporary or seasonal.

The Department of Labor defines seasonal work as employment tied to a particular time of year and temporary need as employment that, except in extraordinary circumstances, lasts no longer than one year.

For dairy operations, the limitation is particularly important because cows must be cared for and milked throughout the year. In its H-2A rulemaking, the Labor Department specifically addressed the dairy industry and stated that most dairy activities, particularly milk production, are year-round and therefore cannot generally be classified as temporary.

This does not mean that a dairy business can never use H-2A. A dairy employer may qualify for H-2A workers for a genuinely temporary or seasonal job if the specific position satisfies the program's requirements. What the program generally does not provide is a visa channel for a dairy's permanent, continuing year-round workforce.

Idaho employers report very little local response to H-2A jobs

NPR reported that Idaho employers advertised about 7,500 jobs through the H-2A program in 2025 and that only four local residents applied for those positions.

Those H-2A jobs were not necessarily dairy positions. Because most permanent dairy jobs do not qualify for the program, the figure is better understood as an indicator of the broader difficulty Idaho agricultural employers report in recruiting local workers for farm labor.

The H-2A program itself requires employers to recruit U.S. workers. The Department of Labor may certify foreign workers only after determining that there are not enough able, willing and qualified U.S. workers available for the temporary or seasonal jobs covered by the application.

Workers describe a different cost of enforcement

Susan Rios, a farmworker activist in Burley, told NPR that her daughter, son-in-law and their two young children recently moved to Mexico because the son-in-law lacked legal status and the family feared an ICE arrest.

According to Rios, the couple chose to leave rather than risk the children's father being detained in front of them. The family's experience is individual and does not establish how widespread voluntary departures are among Idaho agricultural workers, but NPR presented it as an example of the uncertainty surrounding enforcement in the region.

Rios also disputed claims that immigrant workers are simply taking jobs that local residents want, pointing to persistent vacancies in agricultural employment.

Why enforcement appears lighter in Idaho is disputed

Nampa immigration attorney Brandy Perez told NPR that she believes Idaho's dairy industry's political influence helps explain why enforcement has been less intensive there than in some other states.

She pointed to the industry's relationships with the governor and state legislators. That is Perez's interpretation; NPR did not report an ICE or DHS statement confirming that political considerations have shaped enforcement decisions in Idaho.

Naerebout, who is a registered Republican, told NPR that multiple administrations have long understood the dairy industry's dependence on immigrant labor. He said producers remain uncertain because that informal reality does not provide a stable immigration status or a permanent labor program for year-round dairy workers.

No change has removed H-2A's seasonal requirement

As of September 29, the Department of Labor continues to describe H-2A as a program for agricultural employment of a temporary or seasonal nature.

Proposals have repeatedly been made to create or expand legal pathways for year-round agricultural labor, including dairy work. But the federal rule that excludes a permanent year-round labor need from ordinary H-2A eligibility remains in place.

For Idaho dairy producers, that leaves two issues moving in opposite directions: an industry built around continuous year-round labor and an immigration system whose principal agricultural guest-worker program is designed primarily for temporary and seasonal needs.

What the current situation shows

  • ICE activity continues in southern Idaho: NPR documented twice-weekly ICE-contracted flights through Twin Falls, including domestic movement of detainees.

  • No large dairy raids have been reported: NPR found no known large farm or dairy raids in Idaho during the current administration as of September 28.

  • Dairy relies heavily on immigrant labor: the Idaho Dairymen's Association says about 90% of on-dairy jobs are filled by foreign-born workers.

  • The 90% undocumented figure is an estimate: Naerebout gave NPR that estimate; it is not an official government statistic.

  • H-2A has a structural limitation: federal rules generally exclude permanent year-round labor needs, including most milk-production jobs.

Frequently asked questions

Can Idaho dairy farms use H-2A workers for year-round jobs?

Generally not for permanent year-round positions. H-2A is limited to agricultural labor of a temporary or seasonal nature, and the Department of Labor has specifically stated that most milk-production work is year-round. A dairy may still qualify for H-2A workers for a genuinely temporary or seasonal job.

Has ICE conducted large raids on Idaho dairy farms?

NPR reported no known large raids on Idaho farms or dairies during the current administration as of September 28, 2026. ICE enforcement remains active in the state, including detention, transfers and flights through Twin Falls.

Are 90% of Idaho dairy workers undocumented?

There is no official statistic establishing that figure. The Idaho Dairymen's Association says about 90% of on-dairy jobs are filled by foreign-born workers. Its CEO, Rick Naerebout, separately told NPR that he estimates about 90% of dairy workers may lack legal status.

Official sources

Reporting

Disclaimer: Factum Immigration is a journalistic publication. This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration laws, regulations and agency practices may change. For advice about an individual case, consult a qualified immigration attorney or an accredited representative.