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Know This Now, December 5, 2025: ABIC Action Hails Reintroduction of Bipartisan Dream Act of 2025

By December 5, 2025December 18th, 2025No Comments

ABIC Action strongly applauds Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) for their bipartisan leadership in reintroducing the Dream Act of 2025 on Thursday. This vital legislation would allow noncitizens without lawful status who were brought to the United States as children and meet certain education, military service, or work requirements to earn lawful permanent residence. Dreamers have grown up in our communities and contribute to our economy, but under current law there is often no chance for them to ever become citizens and fulfill their potential.


“[Dreamers’] work generates billions in tax revenue and supports businesses across the country. Removing these essential workers would not only disrupt our workplaces and neighborhoods but also undermine America’s global competitiveness,” said Rebecca Shi, CEO of American Business Immigration Coalition. 

Craig J. Duchossois, ABIC Board Member and Chair Emeritus of Duchossois Capital Management (DCM) called on “Congress to act and ensure these young people can continue to contribute to our shared prosperity.”



“Congress has another opportunity to do the will of the American people…Americans overwhelmingly support Dreamers becoming full citizens,” said Raul Raymundo, CEO of the Resurrection Project and ABIC Board Member



“Nearly half of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children…millions of Americans who were born here are working in good jobs for companies founded by people who were born somewhere else,” Tisch, ABIC Board Members and Loews Co-Chairman for Forbes, wrote in his recent Forbes essay 10 Reasons To Still Believe In America.

More News from the ABIC Network

Stateline: More Industries Want Trump’s Help Hiring Immigrant Labor 

Restaurants, construction and landscaping businesses are urgently seeking help amid worsening labor shortages driven by raids and deportation fears.

Rebecca Shi, CEO of ABIC, said one landscaping company lost 50 of 75 workers in a single day due to rumored ICE activity, costing it $50,000 in contracts. ABIC is pushing for work permits for essential immigrant workers and citizenship for Dreamers.


Employers nationwide are asking for more H-2B visas, warning that without immigration relief, labor gaps force businesses to scale back or close.

Washington Examiner: Where Illegal Immigrants Find Work in the U.S.
As of 2025, roughly 8.5 million illegal immigrants are part of the U.S. workforce, concentrated in construction, food and accommodation services, manufacturing, and administrative and retail sectors. The Examiner cited survey results showing most Americans think undocumented immigrants work jobs Americans don’t want:

An ABIC report is also quoted in the article: “Studies show that immigrants contribute to job creation rather than job loss…For instance, in California, which has one of the highest immigrant populations, the unemployment rate is lower than the national average.”

Manolo’s Bakery Reopens in Charlotte After Closure for Safety Amid ICE Raids

Manolo’s Bakery, a Charlotte institution for 28 years and an ABIC member, temporarily closed due to immigration raids last month in Charlotte that resulted in the arrests of over 130 people, and fears over violent enforcement activity.

Manolo’s has now reopened with reduced hours and hopes to return to its regular schedule soon. Owner Manolo Betancur hopes the public will come out and support businesses in the area that may have been negatively impacted by the raids.

San Antonio Express: Texas Restaurants Facing Higher Costs, Lower Sales Under Trump
A new survey by Texas Restaurant Association, an ABIC member, finds that rising food costs and falling sales are hitting restaurants across the state, driven in part by Trump administration tariffs and immigration crackdowns.

Nearly half of restaurants reported declining revenue last quarter and 88% saw food costs surge, forcing many to raise menu prices.

The report warns that shrinking traffic and tight margins are straining the industry.

News Briefing:

Bad Jobs Report Caused by Shutdown, Deportations — Not Tariffs, Commerce Secretary Says
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick rejected claims that Trump’s tariffs caused November’s unexpected drop in private payrolls, instead blaming the government shutdown and mass deportations for the weak jobs report.

He noted that deportations reduced the labor supply and suppressed hiring. The ADP report showed a 32,000-job decline overall, driven by a steep loss of 120,000 jobs at small businesses even as larger companies added workers. 

Modelo and Corona Unexpected Casualties of Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

Constellation Brands, the U.S. owner of Modelo and Corona, is seeing steep sales drops as Trump’s immigration crackdown keeps many Latino consumers from shopping, dining out, or hosting celebrations. Latino consumers make up half of its customer base. The downturn shows how aggressive immigration enforcement is hitting unexpected corners of the economy and the impact extends to small businesses as well:


NY Times: We’re Seeing What a No-Immigration Economy Looks Like
Wendy Edelberg, former chief economist for the Congressional Budget Office, writes that the U.S. is beginning to experience near-zero immigration, with job growth settling around 40,000 per month despite low unemployment. The Trump administration’s crackdown has sharply reduced both the supply of workers and overall consumer demand, since immigrants contribute to the economy not only by working but also by spending.

“Making America less hospitable to immigrants will eventually make America poorer,” Edelberg wrote. She was also interviewed on MarketPlace about her article and the “new normal” for the job market.

Americans in Appalachia and the Southeast Turning Against Trump’s Mass Deportation
The Trump administration’s “Operation Charlotte’s Web” mass-deportation campaign faced unexpected resistance in Appalachia. Most of the 370+ people arrested in North Carolina had no criminal record, and communities from Charlotte to Boone and Harlan County mobilized to warn families, track ICE convoys, and protest raids. The backlash shows a political shift: working-class white towns are siding with immigrant neighbors, defying federal assumptions that rural America would quietly accept mass deportations.

USA Today: Employers Rarely Face Charges For Hiring Undocumented Workers. Why?
Employers rarely face charges for hiring undocumented workers because the government must prove they knowingly hired them, which is a difficult legal standard. Programs like E-Verify are limited, and many businesses use contractors or off-the-books labor. Most enforcement results in fines, not jail, leaving workers vulnerable while employers often avoid serious consequences. Rare prosecutions often require years of investigation to prove intent.

Enforcement News:

WaPo: Most Immigrants Arrested In Trump’s D.C. Crackdown Had No Criminal Records
More than 80 percent of the immigrants arrested in D.C. during the surge in federal law enforcement this year had no prior criminal record, newly released federal data shows, even though that crackdown was portrayed as targeting violent crime. The breakdown aligns with national trends as well:



Trump Launches Immigration Crackdown In New Orleans

Federal authorities began arresting undocumented immigrants in New Orleans, targeting those previously released from local custody, as part of Trump’s nationwide deportation campaign. Local officials criticized the crackdown, noting it affects people legally in the U.S. as well, and the city continues to refuse enforcement cooperation.

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce told NBC News it is not solely Hispanic businesses that will suffer, but rather the state’s economy as a whole. 

“Those businesses also need suppliers for their good and services products that they sell, but if they’re not selling, they’re not producing, then they don’t need that, so it’s a revolving door, and at the end of the day, it impacts everyone,” Chamber President Mayra Pineda said.

Immigration Agents Seized A Raleigh Business Owner. His Wife Is 8 Months Pregnant.

Moises Benitez Diaz, a Raleigh construction business owner, was detained by Border Patrol on Nov. 18 during “Operation Charlotte’s Web.” His wife, Esmeralda Escobar, is eight months pregnant, and they have two young children. Benitez Diaz came to the U.S. as a child and has no felony convictions.

Unprepared Companies At Risk In H-1B Visa Immigration Crackdown
The DOL has launched a major H-1B visa crackdown, with up to 200 investigations under “Operation Firewall,” focusing on proper wages and compliance. Violations often arise from misunderstandings about pay, benefits, or notification rules. Tech giants like Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google lead H-1B hiring, while most visa holders have advanced degrees.

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