Labor Shortage Makes Immigration a Tough Topic for Republicans in Iowa

With an unemployment rate below the national average, Iowa has what its lawmakers and businesses see as a glaring problem: It needs more workers. That labor shortage has put some of the state’s Republican officials and legislators on a political tightrope, with many voicing a need for reform to ease the hiring crunch at home while not straying too far from the national party line on immigration.

The balancing act is poised to get even more difficult as the GOP presidential candidates ramp up campaigning in the state ahead of its first-in-the-nation caucus in January, courting voters with pledges to tighten control of the country’s southern border. Their messaging could deepen a rift in Iowa’s GOP electorate, with some business-minded, traditional Republicans seeking new workers to fuel economic growth while others embrace former President Donald Trump’s more nativist stance.