TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Idaho dairy farms are facing a growing labor squeeze as immigration enforcement raises anxiety among workers, even though the state has so far avoided the large-scale agricultural raids reported elsewhere in the country. Rick Naerebout, chief executive of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, estimates that as many as 90% of employees at the state’s roughly 350 dairies may lack legal immigration status. The jobs are physically demanding and performed year-round, he said, making it difficult to recruit U.S.-born workers. “If we had a concerted effort to have enforcement activities within agriculture, you could really harm our ability to produce food to feed ourselves,” Naerebout said. Idaho, now the nation’s fourth-largest milk producer, cannot use the federal H-2A temporary farmworker visa program for dairy jobs because the program is limited to seasonal work. A recent state labor report counted 7,500 Idaho job openings advertised through H-2A last year, but only four local residents applied, according to figures cited by the industry association. Immigration enforcement has been less visible in Idaho than in some other states, according to attorneys and immigrant advocates. There has been one known large ICE raid in Idaho since President Donald Trump returned to office, at a horse-racing track during an alleged illegal-gambling investigation, and no known large raids at farms or other workplaces. But the uncertainty is affecting families and workers. ICE-contracted flights arrive at the Twin Falls airport twice a week. Immigration-rights activist Heather Muth said she once counted more than two dozen detainees being moved from vans onto a plane. In nearby Burley, farmworker advocate Susan Rios said her daughter and son-in-law moved to Mexico because he feared detention; the couple has two young daughters. Rios said local farms were already having trouble finding employees, and she urged people who believe Latino workers are taking jobs to apply at dairies and farms. “I’m sure that you will be hired immediately,” she said. Naerebout, a Republican, said the dairy industry has had a degree of protection because it is economically important and has access to state leaders. Immigration attorney Brandy Perez of Nampa likewise said the industry’s political influence may help explain why enforcement in Idaho has differed from activity in some other states. That position could change, Naerebout warned. He said workers see enforcement activity around them and feel less welcome, even without raids at their workplaces. President Trump pledged in 2025 to create a system allowing farmworkers to remain in the country legally, but the industry is still waiting for a policy change. A bipartisan-supported bill backed by Republicans that would remove the seasonal restriction for some agricultural visas has not advanced. For dairies, the labor need does not pause: cows must be milked every day, throughout the year.