OPINION: Did Trump just declare war on Idaho’s economy?

What President-elect Donald Trump had to say last Sunday on “Meet the Press” ought to send a chill down the spines of Idaho’s elected officials.

They know their state’s economy depends on the undocumented workers meeting the demand for labor.

Yet Trump outlined a policy that goes beyond rounding up undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds.

His agenda includes

Mass deportation — “Well, I think you have to do it and it’s a hard, it’s a very tough thing to do. But you have to have, you know, rules, regulations, laws. They came in illegally.”

Deporting both family members who are undocumented as well as those who are citizens — “We’ll send the whole family, very humanely, back to the country where they came. That way, the family’s not separated.”

Dreamers — Trump said he’s willing to make a deal with congressional Democrats to safeguard the status of people brought to this country as young children and have known no home other than this one.

Birthright citizenship as guaranteed under the 14th Amendment — “Well, we’re going to have to get it changed. We’ll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it.”

Assuming Trump follows through, that spells disaster for a state that depends on a relatively stable population of about 30,000 to 45,000 undocumented immigrants to support the pillars of its economy — agriculture, construction and tourism/hospitality. In the dairy industry alone, an estimated 90% of the 4,400 workers are foreign born.

Among the findings of a study released earlier this year by the University of Idaho’s McClure Center for Public Policy Research were:

These workers won’t be easy to replace. Idaho already has a labor shortage. And 86% of the undocumented immigrants in the Gem State are holding down jobs. They make up 3% of the state’s workforce.

“Idaho industry professionals report that in some industries, unauthorized immigrant workers are filling key gaps in the labor supply, allowing businesses to grow, maintain or avert closure,” the McClure study said. “In Idaho, businesses are competing for workers more than workers are competing for jobs.”

Dairy farms may not be able to automate quickly enough to survive the loss of their labor. Some will shut down. Others will export operations to locations where they can find workers. All in all, it means higher prices for consumers.

It’s a cinch that the price of a home will reflect both rising labor costs and unmet demand.

The effects of inflation on restaurants, lodging and recreation may accelerate.

Their economic footprint is well entrenched. Three-quarters of them have been in Idaho for at least six years. When a snapshot was taken in 2014, at least half had been in the Gem State for 16 years. The McClure Center called that “the longest length of stay in the nation.”

Idaho’s economy will shrink. Undocumented workers contributed $570 million toward spending on Idaho goods and services five years ago. It’s only expanded since.

Should that spending disappear, you will see a corresponding reduction in yearly tax revenues — $15.5 million in state sales taxes, $8.4 million in property taxes and $2 million in state income taxes.

Factor in Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on agricultural produce imported from Mexico and it spells a massive economic disruption — Idahoans will produce less while paying more for what they import.

Idaho is by no means unique. Much the same situation would face Washington’s agricultural, construction and tourism sectors.

The difference is Washington has no shortage of Democratic elected officials at the statewide level, in the U.S. Senate and in the House of Representatives who have no reluctance to stand up to Trump and his MAGA movement.

It’s not as if Trump’s plan is popular within his own party.

Released Thursday, a survey from The Bullfinch Group and the National Immigration Forum reported:

Three-quarters of Republicans agreed with this statement: “In accordance with American values, family unity, respect for human dignity and protection for the persecuted must remain key priorities as the government increases border security and immigration enforcement.”

“In addition, 60% of Republicans — and 67% percent of voters overall — said immigration enforcement should prioritize violent criminals and those with final orders of removal rather than ‘all individuals without legal status.’ ”

But that’s not what you’re hearing from Idaho’s GOP leadership. In fact, Gov. Brad Little just joined 25 of his Republican colleagues in giving Trump the green light: “As Republican governors, we stand united in support of President Donald Trump’s unwavering commitment to make America safe again by addressing the illegal immigration crisis and deporting illegal immigrants who pose a threat to our communities and national security.”

You have to ask: How much more pain will Idaho endure before its leaders are willing to speak up? — M.T.