The Trump administration has reportedly halted workplace immigration raids on farms, hotels, and restaurants after President Donald Trump conceded that his deportation policies were harming key industries. An internal email from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) senior official Tatum King, sent on Thursday, directed agents to stop worksite enforcement actions in these sectors unless related to criminal investigations.
The guidance, first reported by the New York Times, marks a significant shift from the administration's earlier push for mass deportations. King acknowledged that the move would reduce the number of potential targets, impacting the daily arrest quota of 3,000 that the White House had imposed. The change follows protests in Los Angeles over an Ice raid on a garment factory, which drew national guard and marine deployment.
Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday to announce the policy adjustment, writing: 'Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them.' He added that changes were coming to protect farmers while still removing criminals.
The reversal comes amid warnings from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that farmers, a key Republican constituency, were concerned about the impact of Ice enforcement. Businesses have reported declining sales, with Coca-Cola seeing a 3% drop in volume partly due to reduced spending by Hispanic shoppers. JD Sports CEO Régis Schultz also noted a 'huge decline in traffic' at its Shoe Palace chain.
While the new guidance halts routine workplace raids, it allows investigations into human trafficking, money laundering, and drug smuggling. Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the department would continue to focus on 'the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.' The policy shift reflects the administration's struggle to balance its hardline immigration stance with economic realities.
