Allen Siegler, Mountain State Spotlight
In West Virginia’s ‘Poultry Capital,’ immigrant workers struggle to find the help and support they need
Thousands of immigrants have worked at Pilgrim’s Pride’s Moorefield poultry plant, the area’s largest employer. After arrival, they have a hard time finding affordable housing, paying rent and understanding complex immigration and benefits systems.
In one of the most dangerous workplaces in West Virginia, a poultry giant has profited from immigrant labor for decades
For over three decades, people have come from all over the globe to work for Pilgrim’s Pride’s Moorefield chicken factory. Inside the plant, immigrant workers shoulder a disproportionate amount of the danger.





