# Arkansas Senate candidate controversy over immigration > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/arkansas-senate-candidate-controversy-over-immigration > Updated: 2026-09-23T08:53:49.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2. Hallie Shoffner, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Arkansas, has faced scrutiny following remarks made on the ‘Free Arkansas’ podcast regarding undocumented agricultural workers. Shoffner stated that undocumented immigrants are exceptionally hardworking, remarking, “we’d trade five Americans for just one of them because of how hard they work.” Shoffner, a farmer running against incumbent Republican Senator Tom Cotton, defended the use of undocumented labor, arguing that the current immigration system is “backlogged, bureaucratic and doesn’t actually help anybody.” She advocated for a pathway to legal work status, noting the economic contributions of these workers and their reliance on the agricultural sector. The comments have become a point of contention in the Senate race. Senator Cotton’s campaign accused Shoffner of implying she has employed undocumented immigrants, while Shoffner’s campaign manager, Anna-Lee Pittman, claimed the Cotton campaign “deliberately stripped context from the conversation.” ## Timeline ### 2026-09-23: Hallie Shoffner faces scrutiny over comments on undocumented workers Arkansas Democratic Senate candidate Hallie Shoffner is facing backlash after suggesting undocumented workers are so hardworking that farmers would “trade five Americans just for one of them.” 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/hallie-shoffner-faces-scrutiny-over-comments-on-undocumented-workers ### 2026-09-17: Hallie Shoffner draws criticism over comments on undocumented farm workers Arkansas Democratic Senate candidate Hallie Shoffner faced backlash after stating that the hard work of undocumented farm workers makes them worth trading ‘five Americans’ for one. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/hallie-shoffner-draws-criticism-over-comments-on-undocumented-farm-workers --- Cite as: Arkansas Senate candidate controversy over immigration. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/arkansas-senate-candidate-controversy-over-immigration