{"id":42686,"date":"2026-06-22T07:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T14:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=42686"},"modified":"2026-06-23T13:07:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T20:07:19","slug":"in-deep%e2%80%91red-idaho-even-republicans-break-with-trump-on-farm-labor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/in-deep%e2%80%91red-idaho-even-republicans-break-with-trump-on-farm-labor\/","title":{"rendered":"In deep\u2011red Idaho, even Republicans break with Trump on farm labor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lisa Meierotto<\/a>, Boise State University<\/a><\/em>; Matthew May<\/a>, Boise State University<\/a><\/em>, and Rebecca Som Castellano<\/a>, Boise State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the second Trump administration, the United States has seen mass deportations<\/a> and a sharp escalation in immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security<\/a> says the crackdown pushed nearly 3 million people out of the country in Trump\u2019s first year back in office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time since the 1960s, the number of immigrants living in the U.S.<\/a> is declining; because most farmworkers are foreign born<\/a>, those losses are already beginning to strain American farms<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are<\/a> social scientists<\/a> who study immigrant communities in Idaho and the challenges farmworkers face<\/a>. We also run<\/a> an annual survey exploring public opinion<\/a> on a range of policy issues, including immigration and economic conditions. Amid the government\u2019s heated rhetoric<\/a>, our data shows public opinion on immigration in one of the country\u2019s reddest agricultural states is diverging from national politics and may even be at odds with federal policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immigrant labor in agriculture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the Center for Migration Studies<\/a>, 86% of farmworkers in the U.S. are foreign born, and 45% are undocumented. In 2025 the Trump administration suggested it would not target farms<\/a>. Still, farmworkers across the country are scared to go to work<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between March and July 2025, the agricultural workforce declined by 7%<\/a>, with farms reporting labor shortages in states that voted for Trump, including Pennsylvania<\/a>, and states that didn\u2019t, including California<\/a>. Meanwhile, immigration crackdowns<\/a> are threatening this country\u2019s food security<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

National polling on the administration\u2019s immigration policies tends to follow party lines, drawing Democrats\u2019 disapproval and Republicans\u2019 support<\/a>, but recent polling suggests some softening among the latter. Pew Research Center reported<\/a> that half of all respondents disapprove of the administration\u2019s approach to immigration, and more than half say Trump is \u201cdoing too much\u201d when it comes to deportation. Among Republicans the share is smaller \u2013 20% \u2013 but rising<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research suggests people think about immigration differently<\/a> at the local level. To explore how public opinion on immigration varies in farm-dependent states, we looked at one of the most agriculture-reliant and Republican states in the country just as its farms face policy-driven labor shortfalls<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A worker carries a crate of freshly picked corn through the field. Immigrant workers make up a large share of the U.S. agricultural workforce. Hill Street Studios\/DigitalVision via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A closer look<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Agribusiness is important for Idaho\u2019s economy, accounting for 20% of its annual GDP, according to the Idaho State Department of Agriculture<\/a>. Dairy is a cornerstone: The state is the fourth-largest milk producer in the U.S., according to the Idaho Dairymen\u2019s Association<\/a>. Ninety percent<\/a> of Idaho dairy workers are foreign born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Idaho is also a deeply red state: About 60% of voters<\/a> are registered Republicans, and 67% voted for Trump in 2024<\/a>. These numbers make Idaho a clear test of how national rhetoric and intensifying immigration enforcement track with public sentiment in places that have the most to lose<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our 11th annual Idaho Public Policy Survey<\/a> polled 1,000 adults in the fall of 2025. Because immigrants have lower crime rates<\/a> than native-born Americans, we designed a question around long-term residents without a criminal record \u2013 specifically, dairy workers and their families who have lived in Idaho more than 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results showed broad support for a pathway to legal working status for them: 85% of respondents were in favor, with 56% strongly supportive and 29% somewhat. Just 9% opposed. We expected immigration positions to tie directly to political affiliation, but results cut across party lines, with 79% of Republicans, 88% of independents and 95% of Democrats in favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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