The latest from our network: ABIC is seeing a surge of new members and hosted two webinar trainings and roundtables this week attended by over 1,300 employers and business leaders in hospitality, construction, housing and agriculture to learn about increased enforcement and what employers can do to protect their operations and their workforce.
Watch the video of our latest highly-attended event, a webinar training on Employer Rights and Responsibilities.
Immigration News Briefing:
Legal Work Permit Programs Ended
- 300,000 through Temporary Protected Status: The Trump administration published regulations Wednesday ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 300,000 Venezuelans. They gained the protections in 2023 and could now face deportation in 60 days or after April 7. TPS provides individuals with a legal work permit, social security number and protections from deportations. Other groups under TPS are also at risk including people from Ukraine, Haiti and Sudan.
- 550,000 via Humanitarian Parole: The administration also issued a directive to end legal work permits for Ukrainians, Afghans, Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans who gained protection under President Biden via humanitarian parole.
- 125,000/year through Refugee Resettlement Program: The Trump administration also ended the refugee resettlement program which brings in vetted individuals with legal work permits.
- Pending legislation: There is pending legislation to undo work permit extensions for asylum seekers and other workers on temporary protected status.
Expanded Interior Enforcement and Deportations Continue
- ICE reports 7,400 deportation arrests carried out in nine days, ending on Jan. 31. Over half of those arrested and deported had zero criminal history.
- President Trump sent the first deportation flights to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Trump administration has said it would expand operations at the American naval base in Cuba to hold up to 30,000 immigrants in another effort to ramp up deportations, shift people’s cost/benefit calculus and incentivize them to “self deport.”
- Florida legislators voted to repeal in-state tuition for Dreamers and bolster immigration enforcement as part of the TRUMP act, a controversial bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis says doesn’t go far enough.
- The Texas National Guard was granted new authority to make immigration arrests, and the administration is considering deputizing more state and local law enforcement to arrest undocumented immigrants.
- President Trump paused plans to implement 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for at least a month Monday, after the countries’ leaders agreed to step up border efforts related to immigration and the drug trade. Read more about what tariffs are and the impact they could have on Americans and the global economy.
- Republican Congressional leaders are pushing for a speedy budget reconciliation process to enact President Trump’s agenda, including resources to bolster border security, enable mass deportations, increase interior enforcement, and add detention beds.
Fights in the Courts
- The Justice Department sued Illinois and Chicago on Thursday over ‘sanctuary laws’, alleging several of the state and city’s policies “interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law.” The governor of Illinois responded in a statement saying Illinois will defend its laws: “The bipartisan Illinois TRUST Act, signed into law by a Republican governor, has always been compliant with federal law and still is today.”
- A federal judge blocked Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship indefinitely on Wednesday, indicating it will likely not go into effect in February as planned.
- The ACLU and other groups are suing the administration for shutting down asylum access.
Get Involved
- Drive the conversation: If your business is interested in engaging with the press as part of ABIC or amplifying your story on social media, take this quick survey to let us know your preferences.
- Upcoming webinars: ABIC invites you to our next Rights and Responsibilities Webinar on Feb. 28 at 11 AM CST / 12 PM EST, with Rebecca Shi, Executive Director of ABIC, and Anna Morzy, Partner at Mehlman Jacobs LLP. Register here
- Add your name here to become a co-sponsor of the Rights and Responsibilities webinar. Co-sponsors have their logos listed and invite their network to attend.
- Washington DC Fly-In: Join ABIC and our co-sponsors: Hispanic Construction Council, Arizona Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, Florida Mexican American Chambers of Commerce INC and Interessant Hotel & Resort in Washington, D.C. from March 25 – 26 to encourage Congress and the administration to move forward common-sense policies that secure our borders, stabilize our existing workforce of long-term immigrant contributors, and expand legal pathways into our workforce so that employers can access the talent they need. Register here
In Their Own Words
Key quotes from newsmakers on immigration policy this week:
Tony DiMare, president of DiMare Fresh and ABIC member was quoted in well-respected industry news The Packer (2/6)
Massey Villareal, Comite100 Co-Chair and ABIC member at the Hispanic Businesses Webinar:
Key Employer Resources:
Fact Sheet on Managing No-Match Letters, Form I-9 Audits and Worksite Visits
Always available: ABIC Employer Resources Folder
ABIC in the news. . .
- The Farm Babe, an influential agricultural advocate, shared a powerful social media video discussing the economic impact of mass deportations. She emphasized the importance of ABIC’s push for sensible immigration solutions. Watch the full video. (2/5/25)
- Associated Press Business concerns grow as Trump halts new refugee admissions (1/31/25)
- WBBM News Radio, Alliance of business groups says inflation could increase due to Trump’s deportation push (2/3/25)
- Newsweek, Arizona Town Declares Emergency Over Donald Trump’s Deportation Policy (1/31/25)
- KUTV, Utah businesses close for ‘Day Without Immigrants’ to highlight immigrant contribution (2/3/25)
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