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Immigration · Report · File No. 261112-600

Farm union says ICE surge in Yakima Valley keeps bird flu-sick workers from care

The United Farm Workers says immigration arrests in Washington's Yakima County are scaring dairy workers away from doctors during a bird flu outbreak. The union says official case counts are far too low. ICE had not responded to Newsweek when it published.

By the National Desk · · 2 min read

17 of 20 paragraphs and bullets link directly to a source. The sources are listed at the bottom. How we work

My clippings

A national farm union leader says Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in Washington state are keeping dairy workers sick with bird flu from seeking care. Elizabeth Strater, national vice president of the United Farm Workers (UFW), told Newsweek that Yakima County is "ground zero for ICE right now." 1

The union's claims are unproven. Newsweek said it had contacted ICE and the Yakima County Health Board for comment. 1

On tapeKING 5 Seattle · Nov 12
Farm workers' union says bird flu is spreading through the Washington dairy industry, per KING 5 Seattle.Video: KING 5 Seattle on YouTube, “Farm workers' union says bird flu is spreading through the Washington dairy industry”. It plays from YouTube when you press play.

What the union says

A Freedom of Information Act request showed ICE officers arrested 2,500 people in Washington between March and August of this year. Yakima County has had 445 arrests in the past three months, Newsweek reported. Many of those arrested are said to be dairy workers. 1

Strater described roving patrols that stop workers on rural roads. 1 She said the family often learns what happened only when it finds the worker's car abandoned. 1

From Channel GOPMamdani says New York will not help ICEZohran Mamdani · 850 plays · captioned, with the source named

A UFW spokeswoman told Seattle's KING-TV that sick workers avoid doctors. They fear missing work, and they fear the raids. 1

The outbreak

Bird flu has infected at least 33 herds in Yakima County and caused one confirmed death, according to Newsweek. The county health board has reported three confirmed human cases. The UFW says there are many more. 1

On tapeKING 5 Seattle · Nov 12
Union warns human bird flu cases tied to dairy cows may be undercounted after three confirmed infections, including one death.Video: KING 5 Seattle on YouTube, “Union warns human bird flu cases linked to dairy cows may be undercounted”. It plays from YouTube when you press play.

Fox 13 Seattle reported on Nov. 11 that the Yakima County Health District confirmed the state's first bird flu death this year. The person had underlying health conditions and was exposed to infected dairy cattle. Two other people caught the virus on a Yakima County dairy farm this year, and neither was hospitalized. 2

The UFW also told Fox 13 that official numbers significantly undercount farmworker infections. It cited the ICE surge as a reason many workers avoid public agencies. 2

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the general public faces low risk. It also says human-to-human spread has never been documented in the United States. 2

Gaps in the response

Strater said most dairy workers in Yakima are immigrants who do not speak English. The health district set up a hotline for workers with symptoms, but it is English only. 1

She said workers are getting conflicting instructions about handling sick cattle and discarding milk. She also said milk splashing into the eyes is likely the main way workers become infected. That is her opinion, not a finding by health officials. 1

The union wants flu clinics that put dairy workers and their families first, and testing of the workers themselves. It also wants paid time off for testing, treatment or quarantine. 1

Why it matters

That matters because the union calls dairy workers a "firewall" for the wider public. If sick workers stay hidden, officials may not see the outbreak's true size. 1

The pattern is a familiar one in public health. When people fear that seeing a doctor could lead to deportation, illness goes untreated and uncounted. These workers help produce the milk Americans buy. Whether ICE or health officials will change course was not known as of Thursday. 12

The Record

  1. Daily Caller-reported date of death is unconfirmed; Fox 13 reported only that a Yakima County resident recently died of bird flu, the state's first death this year 2
  2. Fox 13 Seattle reported the Yakima County Health District confirmed the death, and the UFW said official counts undercount infections 2
  3. Newsweek published the UFW's account of ICE arrests in Yakima County and the bird flu outbreak 1
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Sources

  1. Newsweek, “ICE Compared to 'Serial Killers' by Farm Union” (2026-11-12). newsweek.com/ice-compared-to-serial-killers-by-farm-union-12
  2. Fox 13 Seattle, “First bird flu death hits WA, dairy outbreak spreads” (2026-11-11). fox13seattle.com/news/bird-flu-death-wa-outbreak

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