Wisconsin Farmer Talks about Essential Role of Migrant Workers

A Wisconsin farmer paints a revealing picture featuring the essential role of migrant workers in sustaining the rural dairy economy. Hans Breitenmoser believes political rhetoric around mass deportations could devastate communities like his. The Lincoln County farmer joins Dom Salvia, host of The Dom Salvia Show, to discuss why it may lead to farms being shuttered altogether. 

Let’s be real. If we removed all undocumented workers, it would cripple our economy, particularly in rural areas.

Hans Breitenmoser, Wisconsin Dairy Farmer

“There’s a misconception,” Breitenmoser says. “Many rural voters don’t connect the hardworking individuals they interact with daily to the rhetoric about illegal immigrants portrayed in political ads and media.”

Breitenmoser manages a farm of 400 milking cows. He has a team of 12 workers. 10 are foreign-born. 

“People assume that the ‘illegals’ are those committing crimes, not the people they know and work with,” he explains. “But these are the same folks keeping our farms and industries alive. Without them, communities like Abbotsford or Merrill wouldn’t function.”

[podcast src="https://civicmedia.us/shows/dom-salvia-show/2024/11/26/honor-the-work-hour-1"]

Salvia asks about the challenges posed by potential mass deportations. Breitenmoser shares that the rural economy is already stretched thin with labor shortages. It makes it impossible to replace the migrant workforce. And he is frustrated with politicians who use immigration as a divisive issue. He calls the rhetoric misleading and harmful.

“Our job as employers is to ensure documentation is in order, not to question its legitimacy,” Breitenmoser says. “But let’s be real. If we removed all undocumented workers, it would cripple our economy, particularly in rural areas. This isn’t about paying less. It’s about there simply being no one else to do the work.”

Salvia empathizes with Breitenmoser’s frustrations. He recalls the hard labor involved in farming and says it’s work he did as a kid. Salvia also underscores the irony of rural voters for supporting policies that could lead to the deportation of their own workforce.

“I don’t understand how it’s rational to vote for the deportation of the very people keeping your business afloat,” Salvia says.

Breitenmoser shares a poignant story of a conservative friend who never considered that the workers he admired might be undocumented. And it shows the broader misunderstanding.

“It never occurred to him,” Breitenmoser explains. “People have been so misled by the narrative that illegal immigrants are faceless criminals. And they fail to recognize them as their neighbors and colleagues.”

It’s a heavy topic. But Breitenmoser remains hopeful, even with potential immigration policy changes. It’s also a reminder there is a human impact behind the headlines. 

“There is an ongoing need for honest conversations and solutions,” Breitenmoser says. 

Read a related story: “Farmer Calls Election Results a Disaster for Agriculture” here.

---

Watch the entire show here. Breitenmoser joins around 34:00.

---