Businesses Plead With Trump to Halt Workplace Raids As ICE Faces Pressure to Ramp Up Deportations

Business groups are urging the Trump administration to reconsider its planned crackdown on workplace immigration violations, as industries dependent on immigrant labor brace for disruptions.

According to a new sprawling report by Axios, the mere threat of increased raids has already affected industries reliant on immigrant labor, including agriculture and construction. Trump's administration, however, sees these enforcement actions as a way to prioritize American workers.

"Americans overwhelmingly voted for decisive action on the border and those here illegally," Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump adviser, told Axios. "No amount of lobbying from certain business sectors will change what the new GOP and President Trump are determined to implement."

"Rumors of raids are having more impact at this point than raids themselves," said Brian Turmail, vice president of public affairs and workforce for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Some workers, fearing enforcement actions, have begun leaving job sites early or failing to show up.

A recent Department of Agriculture study estimated that around 42% of America's farmworkers were undocumented between 2020 and 2022, while the National Immigration Forum estimates that roughly 25% of U.S. construction workers may lack legal status. The American Immigration Council places undocumented immigrants at about 4.6% of the total U.S. labor force.

Worksite enforcement efforts have already begun, as reported by NPR. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 16 individuals in Mississippi and nine more at a sawmill in upstate New York last week.

NPR also reports that The National Council of Agricultural Employers has been holding discussions on how to prepare for potential ICE actions, while trade groups and employers in sectors such as tourism and hospitality are advising businesses on how to manage document verification and compliance. "Employers are taking this seriously, and they are preparing for these expanded enforcement measures," said Rebecca Shi, CEO of the American Business Immigration Coalition.

Critics argue that strict enforcement measures will lead to economic disruptions, with fewer workers to fill jobs Americans are reluctant to take. "The long-term impact will be where housing prices are already too high," said Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) to Axios, referencing labor shortages in construction. "When they can't get the workforce to build the houses, the prices are going to go up and rents are going to go up."