Recognizing the essential role immigrants play in Wisconsin’s economy matters now more than ever, as the Republican party platform – behind which tens of thousands of delegates are rallying in Milwaukee this week – calls for unprecedented mass deportations.
As reported on Wisconsin Public Radio, “those deportations, if carried out, would likely hit Wisconsin dairy farms hard.” Immigrants in Wisconsin make up a significant share of the population and an outsize share of the workforce.
The contributions of immigrants are vital to Wisconsin’s economic strength.
Immigrants account for 6% of Wisconsin’s workforce, participate in the labor force at higher rates than nonimmigrants, and make up large sections of key industries:
- In 2023, 192,400 immigrants in Wisconsin comprised 6 percent of the total workforce.
- 69% of Wisconsin’s immigrants participated in the labor force, a greater share than the state’s native-born population.
- Immigrants made up large sections of key industries in Wisconsin, including manufacturing (which includes food production/processing), health care, education and retail trade.
Immigrants have contributed billions in tax revenue to Wisconsin and added billions to Wisconsin’s economy. According to the Vera Institute of Justice:
- Wisconsin’s immigrant-led households earned $9.8 billion and have an estimated $7.3 billion in spending power
- Immigrants contributed $963.9 million in combined state and local taxes, and $1.5 billion in federal taxes.
The Wisconsin cheese and dairy industries rely on immigrant workers for essential operations. As one Milwaukee Journal Sentinel headline put it – “Wisconsin’s dairy industry would collapse without the work of Latino immigrants:”
- According to WisconsinDairy.org, Wisconsin is #2 in nationwide milk production, generating 2.44 billion pounds of milk per month.
- According to an 2023 investigative report by ProPublica, “Wisconsin’s celebrated dairy industry would almost certainly collapse without the immigrants who do the dirty, dangerous work that farmers across the state say U.S. citizens won’t.”
- A survey by the National Milk Producers Federation estimated that the immigrant workforce accounted for 51 percent of Wisconsin’s dairy industry.
- The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted that Wisconsin farmers said they haven’t “encountered a US-born applicant” for dairy work “in years.”
The individual stories behind the numbers highlight the dedication of Wisconsin immigrants as they work to grow their businesses, strengthen Wisconsin’s economy, and create opportunity for their families.
- “The dairy farm that hired Blanca Hernández and her sister Guadalupe in 2006 had never hired anyone, much less Mexican workers. Hernández was told the owners didn’t trust foreigners, but they were unable to keep doing all the work by themselves. A nearby farmer vouched for immigrant workers. Hernández and her sister became the first employees.”
Afghani Immigrants Mojib Rasuli And Narmin Rasuli Founded Waukesha Cafe House:
- “‘I was born in Afghanistan and when the Taliban came to power for the first time in 1996 – my father was a police officer and my mother was a teacher. They had no choice but to leave,’ Mojib said.”
Mario, From Honduras, Left His Home Country For Better Opportunities In Wisconsin:
- “I am a herdsman on a dairy farm in DeForest. I enjoy being there. They treat me like family. My age is 34. I came here for a better economic life….Farm work takes a lot of time. I go there at 3:30, maybe 4 in the morning, and I am done at 9, 10, 11 at night. I am willing to be there all the time. One of the advantages of hard work is there is always a check.”
Saul, From Mexico, Dreams Of Becoming A Superintendent In Carpentry In Wisconsin:
- “I came here when I was seven. My mom tells me I almost died crossing the border. We walked 11 hours in the night. It was really hot, and I haven’t had water. My mom tells me I went unconscious. A lady took me in her own vehicle to her house and into a shower to rinse me off. My mom told me in a couple more minutes, I would probably die. We came [looking] for a better life, because we didn’t really have much there. My parents had to sell stuff on the street to buy us milk.”
