Industry groups warned that ICE sweeps are “having a massive chilling effect on the legal, documented, skilled workers that put beef on the table.” President Donald Trump’s immigration raids are disrupting the country’s beef supply, industry groups say, warning the turmoil will raise the price of a staple food for American consumers.

In recent days, Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps in cattle country, where immigrants make up a large share of the workforce, have led to the delayed shipment of thousands of cattle to processing plants, according to cattle associations in Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma.

The ICE activity has already resulted in millions of dollars in lost revenue and added costs, according to reports from the members of the groups. The disruption “will led to higher beef prices for consumers,” the groups said.

“These ICE operations are having a massive chilling effect on the legal, documented, skilled workers that put beef on the table and keep the cattle supply chain moving,” a joint statement from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Kansas Livestock Association and Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association posted on X said.

In recent days, heightened ICE presence has been reported in cattle ranching and feeding country throughout Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. Meatpacking communities of southwest Kansas, including Dodge City, Liberal and Garden City, have been hit especially hard.

Workforce disruptions have hit key choke points in the beef supply chain, such as feed yards, dairies and transportation hubs, the industry associations said. It is unclear whether ICE has been entering agricultural worksites in the region to make arrests, but the rise of ICE arrests in cattle and livestock communities has scared workers into staying away from their jobs, industry leaders say.

The Trump administration directed ICE agents last year to avoid raids on farms and the hospitality sectors, following a heavy lobbying effort from industry. Agricultural operations have since largely avoided those worksites, but not their workforces.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kansas Sens. Jerry Moran (R) and Roger Marshall (R) issued statements on X, urging ICE to work safely with local law enforcement. The disruptions arrive as beef, a staple of the American diet, has become cost-prohibitive to many U.S. households amid rising inflation. A pound of ground beef hit $6.92 in August, an all-time high.

Ranchers throughout the country have been grappling with high grain, fuel and fertilizer prices due to the war with Iran and other forces. Those forces have pushed them to lift prices, which have been passed on to consumers.

Last month, in an attempt to lower beef prices, the Trump administration moved to import 660 million pounds of foreign beef that would be sold at reduced prices.

The decision tested cattle ranchers’ deep loyalty to the president. Some ranchers viewed the decision to import as a betrayal of some of the president’s most steadfast supporters, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association declared its disappointment. Now, the disruption from ICE raids in rural livestock communities has added to the ranchers’ discontent.

ICE disruptions “are a costly and unnecessary impact to cattle producers already suffering from unwelcome political interference to both the markets as well as the physical supply chain,” the trade groups said.

“Our organizations respect the responsibility of federal agencies to enforce the law,” they added. “At the same time, cattle producers, feedyards, dairies, livestock markets, processors, and other rural businesses depend on a stable workforce to care for animals, protect food safety, and keep the supply chains operating.”