In this three-part series, the Center’s Lukas Keapproth and Mario Koran explore how three Wisconsin counties are coping with their population changes — and potential statewide solutions to rural population loss.

Dairy farmer Jeremy Meissner and farm manager Huron Mireles are part of the reason Clark County’s population is growing while nearby counties’ levels are declining. Part three of three in the Center’s Rural Slide series.

This week, about 300 Wisconsin law enforcement officials received training on how to identify cases of human trafficking — which often are not spotted because victims are fearful to speak out.

The United States this year has deported more than 250 Haitians, half of whom were jailed without charges in facilities so filthy they pose life-threatening health risks. Some Haitians faced lengthy confinement in U.S. immigration facilities before the deportations. An investigation by the nonprofit Florida Center for Investigative Reporting found evidence that the Obama administration has not followed its own policy of seeking alternatives to deportation when there are serious medical and humanitarian concerns.

For the estimated 2,000 college students who come from abroad each year to fill the labor gap in the Dells, finding housing is far from guaranteed. Motel owner Chris Swart believes local officials should adopt regulations to improve housing for temporary workers in the Dells.

Each year, thousands of foreign students flock to the Dells with special visas to work in its tourism industry. But there are holes in the program: The work isn’t always guaranteed, students have little recourse for mistreatment, housing can be substandard, and getting around in the Dells can be downright dangerous.

Since the area has no public transit besides taxi, many of estimated 2,000 international students who come to work in the Dells each summer ride bicycles to get around. Of the 21 bicycle-vehicle crashes reported in Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton since 2008, police reports indicate 19 involved international student riders.

An influx of immigrants into Wisconsin’s dairy industry is giving a new Hispanic flavor to rural areas.