MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
ICE is conducting a widespread operation in western Kansas, a major hub for meat processing. Business leaders have warned that it could raise the price of beef. Politicians, including Republicans, have raised concerns, and residents say the arrests are causing alarm and confusion. Calen Moore of High Plains Public Radio reports.
CALEN MOORE, BYLINE: In rural southwest Kansas, towns are small enough that when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up in unfamiliar vehicles, residents took notice right away. Lizette Avalos-Morales, a local activist, was quick to alert her community in the town of Liberal, Kansas, which is 70% Latino.
(SOUNDBITE OF WHISTLE BLOWING)
LIZETTE AVALOS-MORALES: (Speaking Spanish).
MOORE: With ICE agents parked along roads leading to beef-packing plants, Avalos-Morales warns workers to be careful, saying in Spanish, immigration enforcement is in town.
Kansas is ranked third in red-meat production. This region, where four packing plants employ more than 10,000 people, is responsible for most of that. Many industry workers are undocumented immigrants. Others are in the country legally but may skip work for fear of being caught up in an ICE operation. Livestock associations representing Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas say they are concerned about economic fallout from immigration enforcement, especially when the price of meat is already high. Local officials are also worried. Jose Lara is a city commissioner for Liberal.
JOSE LARA: You will definitely see a massive economic slowdown in the three cities as people begin to hide at home, not travel, not go to work, not go to school.
MOORE: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement that ICE is not conducting worksite operations in the state and is instead targeting, quote, "heinous criminals."
When asked about the enforcement operations in rural Kansas, a public affairs official for ICE responded with examples of undocumented immigrants who've committed crimes like homicide or assault in the Kansas City metro area. Frank Duran is one of several community members who shared a video on social media of being pulled over by ICE agents to show proof of citizenship.
FRANK DURAN: They're just pulling over random people and trying to use scare tactics and intimidation.
MOORE: He and his daughter were asked to show ID when she picked him up from work at a beef-packing plant in Dodge City on Tuesday. Duran says they weren't given a reason for the stop.
DURAN: My daughter gets out shaking and crying. She said, Dad, they profiled us. She's like, we're both born here in Kansas. We're legal citizens, Dad.
MOORE: While it's hard to say how much of an impact this operation could have on the price of beef, local activists say the impact on the community is clear.
For NPR News, I'm Calen Moore in Liberal, Kansas. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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