Kansas
Immigration reform can’t pass Congress. Here’s how that’s hurting Kansas, Missouri farmers
WASHINGTON — It’s difficult for Mark Fellwock to find workers for his dairy farm.
He’s competing against businesses in town, where the pay is often higher and the work is often easier. So it can be hard to find good, reliable workers to help keep the dairy operation up and running.
“Our daily struggle is labor,” Fellwock told The Star. “We fight it every day.”
Last year, Fellwock traveled to Washington hoping to change that. He spent time at the Capitol, asking lawmakers to support a bill to reform a program that allows farmers to bring in migrant workers on a short term basis – called the H-2A visa program.
Currently, the H-2A program is only open to seasonal workers. That doesn’t fit Fellowock’s needs. He wants the program to allow year-round workers, which would make his dairy eligible to hire people for parlor work – helping to milk the cows.
His appeal fell on deaf ears.
Congress has been unable to pass comprehensive immigration for decades. And as partisan politics harden divisions on issues like border security and legal pathways to citizenship, it has become even more difficult to reform programs where there appears to be some common ground, like the H-2A visa program.
“There are things we could agree on, that 60 votes in the Senate could be had, a majority of the House would support, a president would sign,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican. “But we get stymied because we don’t do everything. And therefore we can’t do something.”
The inability to do something has left farmers in Kansas and Missouri struggling amid a lasting labor shortage in the agriculture industry. The two states are among the top agriculture producers in the country, yet employ far fewer migrant farm workers than states with less agricultural output.
In 2023, Kansas had 1,406 migrant workers under the H-2A visa program, employed by 220 businesses. Missouri had 906 migrant workers, employed by 116 businesses.
Both states have seen an increase in migrant farm workers since 2015, the farthest back the Department of Homeland Security keeps public state by state data on H-2A visas. The increase comes as the rural population has continued to decline and small farms are being bought out by larger, corporate farms.
But the program still doesn’t work for many of the farms common in Kansas and Missouri. Instead, it’s geared for farms that grow fruits and vegetables, like the apple orchards in Washington, the orange groves in Florida and the peach trees in Georgia.
Stephen Devadoss, an agricultural and applied economics professor at Texas Tech, said the program is mostly used by fruit and vegetable farmers for seasonal harvests, not the row crops like corn, wheat, soybeans and sorghum that are common in Kansas and Missouri.
Ryan Haffner, the owner of High Plains Agriculture, is one of the Kansas farmers who uses the H-2A visa program to harvest row crops. In 2023, he hired 22 migrant workers to drive tractors, combines and trucks to help harvest sorghum, wheat and corn.
Haffner’s labor pool generally doesn’t consist of the migrant workers from Mexico who often help pick vegetables. Instead, he largely relies on workers from South Africa or countries in Europe.
Under the program, Haffner is required to pay the travel cost for his workers, along with providing housing and meals during the time they work for him.
Every year, he has to go through the same process. He fills out paperwork, gets permission from the government to hire workers, then flies them from their home country to get to his farm. They work for a season, driving the tractors and combines and trucks. Then they go home and the next batch of workers comes in.
“It’s like Groundhog Day, every year,” Haffner told The Star. “We have to ship all our people home, we have to do this big application process, hope we get approved. Then when we do get approved, we have to bring all these people over. So we’re spending anywhere from $1,300 to $2,000 per person just for the flight.”
If Haffner could have his way, the H-2A visa program would be more flexible. Like Fellwock, he wishes that he could hire workers for a full year rather than just bringing them in for a season. And – because it’s difficult for him to find workers in the U.S. – he feels like he’s at the whim of the government when it comes to how he can operate his business.
Recently, Haffner said, the Biden administration wanted to remove trucking work from the H-2A program, which would make his business ineligible. Instead, the new Labor Department rule increased the wages for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers by about 43% between 2023 and 2024, significantly raising his labor costs.
“We just go along for the ride,” Haffner said. “You’re either in the program or you’re out of the program. And because of the labor shortage, if we’re out of the program, we’re out of business.”
In November, the Biden administration proposed a rule that would give migrant and seasonal workers more labor protections, including access to union protections, in an effort to empower workers afraid to speak out against abuse from employers who brought them overseas.
“The fear is if they were to report, then the employer would terminate their visa,” said Alexis Guild, the vice president for strategy and programs for Farmworkers Justice, a non-profit that advocates for seasonal and migrant farm workers. “And it could also impact future recruitment because many of the employers use recruiters and there’s fear of blacklisting.”
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach wrote a letter signed by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and 20 attorneys general opposing the rule.
While the Labor Department has the power to adjust wages and propose new rules for workers, it would be up to Congress to change the law to make it work better for employers like Fellwock and Haffner.
Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, said the issue has been on his radar since he was first elected to the House in 2016. He supported a House bill in his first term to reform the H-2A visa process that attracted bipartisan support.
The bill would have allowed for year-round workers and some migrant workers would be eligible for a three-year visa. But it also would have eliminated the requirement that farmers provide housing and meals for their workers. It failed to pass out of committee.
Marshall was among the Senators who helped kill a recent bipartisan immigration bill – which did not include significant reform to the H-2A visa program – for being insufficiently conservative.
He said that while he is very aware of the labor issues facing farmworkers – calling the lack of labor one of the top challenges facing Kansas farmers – he stressed that border security needed to be handled before any immigration bill.
“It just seems like the number one concern in the nation right now is this open southern border,” Marshall said. “All discussions are dead until we secure the border.”
Moran, on the other hand, is hoping Congress can do something to address the labor shortage, passing pieces of immigration reform where there’s bipartisan support. He said the rural communities in Kansas that have shown signs of growth in the past few decades are those that have embraced immigrants, like Garden City, which is now a majority minority city.
“We certainly need people who want to work,” Moran said. “Agriculture particularly needs greater labor. We are stymied in Kansas in growing our agribusinesses and in growing our farms because we need people to work.”
But, Moran said, when he asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas if he was willing to work on areas of immigration reform where there’s bipartisan consensus, the secretary said he wanted comprehensive reform.
Moran said he took that to mean that they weren’t going to do anything.
That hasn’t deterred Fellwock, the chairman of the Missouri Dairy Association. He’s hopeful that a bipartisan bill, called The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, can somehow make it through a divided Congress.
In the meantime, he’s at the whim of whoever pulls into his driveway.
“We’re starting to have a few come in wanting jobs, needing jobs,” Fellwock, the dairy farmer said. “And so we’re kind of encouraged with that. But boy, if we could have a visa program, where we could take advantage of those and be able to employ them through that, that would be tremendously helpful.”
What is next for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs?
Joe Rivera and and Chris Bumbaca break down Patrick Mahomes’ ACL tear and where they see the KC organization going moving forward.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes underwent surgery to repair his torn left ACL on Dec. 15 in Dallas, Texas, the team said.
Dr. Dan Cooper, an orthopedic surgeon based in Dallas, performed the surgery. Cooper specializes in knee and shoulder injuries for the Carrell Clinic, based in Texas.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said earlier Dec. 15 that Mahomes was seeking a second opinion in the Dallas area. The Chiefs said Mahomes will begin his rehab immediately. The three-time Super Bowl winner will have roughly nine months to prepare for Week 1 of the 2026 season.
ESPN reported that Cooper also repaired Mahomes’ torn lateral collateral ligament (LCL).
Mahomes suffered the injury on Dec. 14 as the Chiefs lost to the Los Angeles Chargers at home, which knocked them out of playoff contention. The two-time MVP was tackled from behind by Chargers defensive end Da’Shawn Hand. Mahomes immediately reached for his left knee after being rolled up from behind as Kansas City’s medical staff immediately tended to him.
He eventually walked off under his own power but Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters that the initial prognosis did not “look good.”
Gardner Minshew replaced Mahomes and purports to be Kansas City’s starter for the final three games of the season.
Contributing: Jacob Camenker
All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter. Check out the latest edition: Recapping the carnage of Week 15.
Kansas
Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs facing rebuild after missing NFL playoffs for first time since 2014
The NFL playoffs and the road to the Super Bowl will not feature the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time since 2014 this season. Does it mark the end of an era for one of the league’s great modern dynasty teams?
Andy Reid’s side were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday following a 16-13 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers, coupled with deciding victories for the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans.
A miserable season was punctuated by a late injury to star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was later ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a torn ACL that will now disrupt preparations heading into next season.
Having reached five of the last six Super Bowls, the Chiefs face uncharted territory in the offseason.
“You look over the years, there’s a multitude of things (contributing to their downfall),” says Sky Sports NFL’s Phoebe Schecter. “They’ve had longer seasons than any other team and X amount of games every single year, emotionally, mentally, physically it’s taxing on a player.
“The Chiefs have never fully invested back into who they are drafting, free agency, they don’t have a ton of star receivers, you’re relying on people like Travis Kelce.
“There’s a lot of rebuilding that has to happen.
“It’s hard when you compare to a team like the Eagles, who are constantly staying ahead of it and building depth – I don’t think they’ve had a star receiver since Tyreek Hill.”
The Chiefs had entered the campaign on the back of reaching three straight Super Bowls, winning two in a row before being dismantled by the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans last February.
A shortage of star quality or reinvestment in as much was evident that day at the Superdome, and has emerged as a prevalent talking point in the decline of a team and, in particular, an offense that once looked untouchable.
“This is maybe the end of the first iteration of the Chiefs that we’ve seen,” said Sky Sports NFL’s Neil Reynolds. “This happened to Brady and the Patriots. They had a 10-year gap. Brady won three, ironically, his knee ligaments went, 10 years later they then won another three with New England.
“So this feels like the end of something with Kelce. Have the Chiefs in recent years failed Patrick Mahomes? Because I don’t know if they’ve got a number one wide receiver. They don’t have a star running back.
“I don’t want to play fantasy football, but that offense with George Pickens or Breece Hall in the backfield, I just wonder whether they have assumed Patrick Mahomes will bail them out, as he has done many times, and continue to do so, and it feels like they’ve run out of it this year.”
Mahomes endured, statistically, one of the worst seasons of his career on the way to the Super Bowl last year as the Chiefs largely leaned on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense to carry them through a series of one-score games.
The production has been marginally improved in 2025 but no less erratic or inconsistent, Mahomes constantly relied upon to create magic in the face of limited options.
“I think that’s true,” said Sky Sports NFL’s Jeff Reinebold. “I think that they have confidence in his ability to elevate everybody at the critical moments.
“I have such an appreciation for excellence. And sustained excellence is even held in a higher esteem to me because you know think about this, 2014 is a long time ago and it’s been that long that they’ve been in the playoffs every year and have been the team that you had to beat, so to have sustained excellence in a league that makes it just about as difficult as you can make it, maybe more difficult than any pro sports league, that is a credit to the Chiefs organisation, to Andy Reid, to Brett Veach.
“However, the reality is eventually it just runs out, you just run out of steam. You look at Kelce, he’s not the player that he once was, I thought he was really good today and competed his tail off but you know there are now guys that can match and make it really difficult.
“I agree about the receivers they’ve got, some guys with unique skill sets but I don’t know if they’ve got a true number one receiver.”
As defensive lineman Chris Jones took to the podium post-game, he had to ask reporters if the Chiefs were out of the playoffs. He didn’t know. Until it hit him.
The silence was deafening and a reflection of the unknown. This was a day that was always coming, and the reality of a major offseason shake-up hit.
“It’s hard to rebuild when you’ve been winning, it’s ‘what are we going to change?’,” said Sky Sports NFL’s Jason Bell.
“You have to get to the point where it falls apart and doesn’t work, but you never want to see Mahomes get hurt like that, it’s the worst-case scenario.”
After 10 straight playoff appearances, nine straight division titles and seven consecutive trips to the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs’ dominance is no more.
Watch the 2025 NFL season live on Sky Sports, including every minute of the playoffs and Super Bowl LX; Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 14, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 14 drawing
Midday: 9-9-6
Evening: 1-5-6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from Dec. 14 drawing
Red Balls: 15-24, White Balls: 02-16
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 14 drawing
08-23-32-33-34, Lucky Ball: 15
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.
By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:
Kansas Lottery Headquarters
128 N Kansas Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3638
(785) 296-5700
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.
When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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