Federal agents rounded up 74 to 76 workers, well over half of the plant's staff, on a single day at Glenn Valley Foods. The effects were quick: production fell to as low as 20–30% capacity, putting grocery chains and restaurant supply at risk. It is not an anomaly. With more than half of America's meatpacking workers foreign-born and many of them illegal, you cannot overlook the sector's exposed nature. Remove that workforce, and the entire industry shuts down, threatening jobs and national food security. Do these ICE raids seem like that they are just targeting violent criminals?

American beef already rings a record price because of a shrinking herd and drought-bred feed. Add labor shortages from ICE raids, and prices increase, hurting consumers the most. When factories cannot produce, the shelves are empty, restaurants panic, and low-income families are hurt the worst. Immigration enforcement, designed as a deterrent, is essentially a straight-up tax on the American dinner plate. Does the US need immigration reform that realistically addresses the needs of the American economy?

Glenn Valley Foods used E-Verify, the government's system for verifying work authorization. Still, ICE kept over half of its workers in custody, as agents bluntly told the company's president, "The system is broken." It discloses a national crisis: employers face a conflict between compliance and survival, and faulty verification tools put both employers and employees at risk. The result is an environment of fear and uncertainty that chases away investment and innovation. Should Congress fix the E-Verify systems as part of its much-needed immigration reform legislation?

When a meat plant shuts down, the ripple effect radiates far from its doors. Economies in the region, as well as rural America's already fragile economies, lose millions in wages, taxes, and retail and supply chain businesses. Schools, hospitals, and the housing market suffer as families are displaced or leave in fear. Trauma of raids, which often hit whole communities, lingers across generations. The impact isn't just economic, it's psychological and social. Is the Trump administration currently doing enough to address immigration issues that are fair and humane to all stakeholders?

If ICE ramps up enforcement, as proposed policy changes suggest, some 50% or more of farm and food processing workers in the country would be undocumented, leading to immense labor shortages in agriculture, hospitality, and construction. Prices and food insecurity would increase, and US competitiveness would decrease as businesses relocate or mechanize, if they still exist. This "law and order" approach would weaken the industries it seeks to protect. When the existing policy approach clearly does not work, is it time to change that failed policy?