The Idaho Dairymen’s Association is pressing forward with a campaign to reshape federal visa and immigration policy, and the group notched a significant political milestone this spring when four of its five endorsed candidates won their primary races in legislative Districts 24 and 25 in the heart of Magic Valley.
The results mark a deliberate effort by the dairy industry to place sympathetic voices in the statehouse after years of feeling unrepresented — or outright opposed — in the Capitol.
“We had representation that was quite antagonistic towards the industry,” said Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.
A Political Campaign Rooted in Industry Survival
The IDA’s electoral push was backed in part by the Idaho Feeds America website, which ramped up activity ahead of the May primary. The organization’s goal is straightforward: secure a stable, legal workforce for Idaho’s dairies through meaningful visa reform at the federal level. Without it, IDA leaders argue, Idaho’s dairy sector — one of the most economically significant agricultural industries in the state — faces an existential labor crisis.
The campaign has not been without controversy. Immigration remains one of the most contentious policy debates in Idaho, and the Magic Valley sits at the center of it. Advocacy group Stand Up For Idaho has leveled sharp accusations against the agricultural sector, claiming that Idaho’s dairy industry relies on what it describes as “essentially slave labor.” Some Republican legislators have used similarly charged language, calling Idaho farm owners “evil” and labeling them “slave owners.”
The rhetoric has had real consequences for individual farm families. Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen’s family farm was raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2024. Idaho Sen. Glennda Zuiderveld’s farm also suffered substantial financial losses. The two lawmakers had taken opposite positions on immigration policy, yet both saw their farming operations affected by the broader political climate — a sign of just how deeply the debate has cut into Magic Valley’s agricultural community.
A Labor History Stretching Back to the Valley’s Founding
Historian Russ Tremayne argues that the current anti-immigrant sentiment in the region contradicts the very history that built it. He points out that Mexican migrant workers were answering labor calls in Magic Valley from the region’s earliest days of agricultural development, when entrepreneur I.B. Perrine secured funding to build Milner Dam and irrigation infrastructure that eventually brought more than 300,000 acres under cultivation.
Sugar beets were a dominant cash crop in those early years, and the work required to grow and harvest them was physically demanding and low-paid. Migrant workers filled that need despite widespread racism and difficult working conditions. During World War II, the federal Bracero Program was created specifically to supply Mexican laborers to Idaho farms as domestic workers left for military service or wartime industry jobs.
“The political rhetoric around this is sickening. The anti-immigration policies are contrary to the economic needs and history of Idaho,” Tremayne said.
Whether one agrees with that assessment or not, the historical record is clear: Magic Valley agriculture has depended on migrant labor for well over a century, and that dependency has never fully resolved into a sustainable, legal framework — which is precisely what the IDA says it is fighting to create.
What Comes Next
With four of its endorsed candidates having cleared the primary hurdle in Districts 24 and 25, the Idaho Dairymen’s Association is positioned to have more favorable voices in the Idaho Legislature when the next session convenes. The broader push for federal visa reform, however, remains a longer and harder road. Any meaningful change to agricultural guest worker programs requires action in Washington, D.C., where immigration legislation has stalled repeatedly in recent years.
Idaho’s agricultural sector is watching closely. Dairy operators, farm families, and rural communities across Magic Valley are keenly aware that the outcome of the immigration debate will shape the future of an industry that underpins the regional economy. For related developments affecting Idaho agriculture, including new animal health regulations, see coverage of Idaho agriculture officials tightening animal entry rules after screwworm discoveries in neighboring states.
For broader Idaho political and agricultural news, visit Idaho News.