Dairy Farmers Worry Americans Might Have to 'Go Vegan' as Trump's Mass Deportations Threaten Farming Workforce

Wisconsin dairy farmers have expressed concerns regarding the impact of President Donald Trump's mass deportation plans and initiatives on the dairy farming industry, citing the industry's reliance on foreign workers to function.

"If there's no immigrant labor, there's no milk, no cheese, no butter, no ice cream," said Wisconsin dairy farmer John Rosenow to the Financial Times. "We'll all have to go vegan."

Rosenow's farm in Waumandee depends almost entirely on foreign laborers to continue day-to-day operations. Trump's plan to launch mass deportations unlike any other in American history threatens the well-being of his business.

"I had a lot fewer worries before Trump got elected," Rosenow, who has openly campaigned against deportation policies, added. "We're in a whole new world now."

In fact, Trump's pledge to conduct mass deportations triggered a deluge of frantic calls from Wisconsin constituents to local officials in which they urged their representatives to work against the incoming administration's immigration policies, reported the Wisconsin Examiner.

"There is palpable fear and anxiety with our clients," said Carmel Capati, managing immigration attorney for the Catholic Multicultural Center in Madison.

"As we anticipate a change of national leadership, immigrant communities across our state are fearful of what may be coming," Baldeh said."It is essential that we as elected officials address that fear, stand up for the rule of law, and advocate for human rights-based policies that acknowledge the contributions of immigrants — who are our neighbors, co-workers, and friends."

Roughly 70% of the workforce within Wisconsin's dairy farms is made up of immigrant workers, largely from Mexico and Central America, according to School for Workers. Almost all of these workers are undocumented due to the lack of an annual visa aimed toward low-skilled farm workers.

"There's a lot of money being gained from these cheap workers. ... and they can be easily disposed of," said Mariana Rodriguez, director of the United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) Latina Resource Center.