Wisconsin dairy farmers are pushing for immigration reform; they want a federal labor policy that will guarantee they will have enough employees to continue operations and expansion.

It is estimated that half or more of the people hired to work on U.S. dairy farms are immigrants, with a large percentage of those workers being undocumented. Dairy farmers are concerned that without foreign labor, they could be forced to quit milking cows because there aren't enough American workers who are willing to do the physically demanding work.

J. Rosenow, a Buffalo County dairy farmer said that if their foreign workers left, they would have to dispense of everything. Rosenow is a dairy farmer who has over 500 cows and employs Mexican workers.

Members of the Dairy Business Association, based out of Green Bay, recently travelled to Washington D.C. to discuss immigration reforms with lawmakers. One Elmwood dairy farmer, P. Fetzer said that he felt it was important to attend because immigration is so critical to the dairy industry, and to the entire country.

Problem With H-2A Visas

As it stands, immigrants are able to obtain a work permit for seasonal agricultural jobs, however, that doesn't apply to foreign workers on dairy farms. Dairy workers aren't able to get the H-2A visa because their jobs aren't temporary, they are year-round.

One Milwaukee lawyer, E. Straub, who handles immigration law cases told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that probably 75% or more of the labor (in the dairy industry) is undocumented.

Dairy farmers say that it's not easy finding reliable help, even in rural areas where the locals have been born and raised on farms, even when dairy farms are paying significantly more than the minimum wage.

L. Fischer of the American Dairy Coalition, based in Green Bay said that they're looking for a program that would be run through the USDA.

For more information about working in the U.S., contact an immigration lawyer near you!