Wisconsin Farmers Union Launches Immigration Resource Hub

In response to a robust body of immigration-related policy created by the Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) membership and recent immigration enforcement presence in the Midwest that threatens agricultural labor and food supply chain stability, WFU is launching an Immigration Resource Hub to provide educational resources and opportunities for advocacy related to immigration reform.

Every day, Wisconsin’s agricultural and food industries depend on immigrant workers. Across the United States, an estimated 73 percent of agricultural workers are foreign-born. In Wisconsin, immigrants make up just under 6 percent of the total workforce, yet account for roughly 11 percent of agricultural workers. Nowhere is this more evident than in dairy. According to the National Milk Producers Federation, farms that employ immigrants are responsible for 79 percent of the nation’s milk supply. A 2023 survey by the UW–Madison School for Workers found that more than 10,000 undocumented workers perform about 70 percent of the labor on Wisconsin dairy farms. The researchers reached a blunt conclusion: without these workers, the dairy industry would collapse overnight.

Outside of agriculture, immigrants are essential to other Wisconsin businesses. From meat packing plants, to food processing facilities, and the restaurants on Main Street, immigrant labor keeps our food system moving. Immigrants help fill workforce gaps left by a shrinking rural population and an aging labor force. By expanding the workforce, immigrants boost productivity, strengthen local economies, and help keep family farms viable.

Immigration enforcement actions ramped up at the end of 2025, threatening the operation of Wisconsin’s farms and livelihoods of farmworkers. WFU delegates responded by voting to adopt a Special Order of Business focused on immigration at the 95th Annual State Convention in December 2025. The policy was defined as a top-of-mind issue for WFU members and charged as a primary area of focus for the organization in 2026. The Special Order of Business states that WFU opposes any and all involvement of local police and sheriffs in acting as agents for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and signing 287(g) agreements for such purpose, and that the organization opposes state laws that promote or require local police to act in ICE’s capacity and often result in the forced breakup of and hardship for immigrant families.

Currently, Wisconsin lawmakers are considering legislation which would mandate statewide participation in 287(g) agreements. These agreements deputize local law enforcement to act as federal immigration agents in cooperation with ICE. These agreements allow officers to investigate immigration status, detain individuals, and initiate deportation proceedings. These kinds of agreements erode trust and threaten public safety. When local officers are perceived as immigration agents, immigrant families and even employers become less likely to report crimes or cooperate with investigations. At the same time, these agreements pull officers away from their core duties, leaving gaps in already understaffed sheriff’s departments.

Wisconsin Farmers Union believes sheriffs and counties should retain the freedom to decide what works best for their communities without financial threats from the state. Immigration enforcement should not come at the expense of public trust, local budgets, or rural stability.

Beyond opposition to 287(g) agreements, policies that address the importance of stable farm labor and immigration reform have been long standing parts of WFU’s organizational position. In 2012, WFU delegates adopted policy in favor immigration reform which has been updated over the years to add language that supports drivers licenses, medical care, public education, fair wages, and temporary and guestworker visa reform for immigrant residents. WFU advocates for a path to citizenship and against the deportation of non-violent, law-abiding residents. 

The newly assembled Immigration Resource Hub is a landing page for immigration information related to agricultural employers, employees, and rural residents. Explore the Hub to learn more about WFU's immigration policy, find action alerts and printable materials, and a resource library. Following the conclusion of a Spring 2026 educational webinar series focused on immigration and agriculture, recordings will also be available on the Immigration Resource Hub. The Hub is now available on the Wisconsin Farmers Union website and is accessible to members and non-members alike. 

Visit WFU's Immigration Resource Hub