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Know this Now: Immigration News and Policy Shifts for Employers

By May 27, 2025No Comments

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The Latest from the ABIC Network

Freedom Caucus Chairman Spotlights Need for Visa Fixes at Preakness Stakes Meeting
Hosted by Thoroughbred Advocates, ABIC, Seasonal Employment Alliance

On the eve of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown following the Kentucky Derby, ABIC partnered with thoroughbred advocates, and the Seasonal Employment Alliance, for an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit to legendary trainer H. Graham Motion’s operations. Motion trains approximately 200 horses for a group of owners, including Terry Finley, President of West Point Thoroughbreds. Finley provided Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD) with an overview of his horse racing business including the 26 H-2B and immigrant workers who help run the stable. Congressman Harris emphasized the importance of reliable labor across industries, including horse racing

“This is a workforce issue, not an immigration issue,” Congressman Harris said, noting his efforts to educate his colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus.” He added that “I think the realization is going to be that as the (Trump) administration tightens down on illegal immigration that we have to actually plus up legal workforce.” Harris told BloodHorse.

Motion’s horses are stabled at the 7,000 acre Fair Hill International equestrian center, a short drive from Pimlico. The facility currently hosts three trains and plays an essential role in the Mid-Atlantic racing circuit.

Questions About Temporary Protected Status Changes?
Join Our TPS State of Play and Advocacy Webinar
May 29 | 1:00 PM ET

If your workforce includes employees on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) – a legal but temporary work permit dating back to the 1980s, don’t miss this important webinar. We’ll provide an overview of the current state of the TPS program and share ways you can get involved to strengthen this existing legal work permit program.

On the call, we will:

  • Provide a briefing on the current state of TPS and what’s at stake for employers.
  • Coordinate outreach efforts to engage business leaders in support of stabilizing this critical workforce.
  • Share messaging and talking points for effective communication with elected officials.
  • Answer your questions and equip you with tools to take impactful action.

Today, more than 570,000 TPS holders are active in the U.S. workforce on temporary and legal work permits—including 95,000 in leisure and hospitality, 90,000 in construction, 85,000 in business services, 80,000 in wholesale and retail trade, and 70,000 in manufacturing. 

These workers are essential to keeping key industries running.

Your voice is essential.
Please RSVP to join us: https://secure.everyaction.com/vqOsjyvxRU23aE7QvHKtIA2

Save the Date: October 21–23, 2025 | Washington, D.C.

Join ABIC and business leaders from across the country in the nation’s capital for our Secure America’s Workforce Policy Summit and Legislative Visits. This is our biggest event of the year—don’t miss your chance to shape the conversation on immigration and workforce policy.

Sign up for updates to be the first to receive travel info, speaker announcements, and registration details.

News Briefing:

House Narrowly Passes Megabill Including Sweeping Tax Breaks and New Spending for Trump’s Agenda, Senate Vows Edits

House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, passed a multitrillion-dollar tax break package Thursday with a 215-214 vote after an all-night session. The bill would deliver on several of President Trump’s campaign pledges, including new tax breaks and increased spending on military and border enforcement.

The bill includes $350 billion in new spending, $140 billion or 40% of which is slated for immigration and border security measures.

See a breakdown of some of the bill’s top allotments on immigration and the borders below:

Negotiations over the bill are far from over as it heads to the Senate and GOP Senators said Thursday the bill will need changes to pass. Several of the bill’s provisions, including cuts to Medicaid, a debt ceiling hike, changes to food assistance (SNAP) and high spending have been hotly debated this week within the party.

The bill also limits SNAP to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) had pushed to remove a provision that forbids legal refugees from accessing SNAP benefits.

A series of new immigration fees are also proposed in the bill: 

  • $1,000 fee to apply for asylum
  • $550 fee for work authorization applications, with renewals required every six months
  • $3,500 fee for sponsoring unaccompanied children without legal status
  • $1,000 fee for undocumented individuals paroled into the U.S.
  • $500 fee for applying for Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

Disney First Major Employer to Put Venezuelan Workers on Leave After Supreme Court Rules Administration Can Revoke TPS

Disney is the first major employer to act on the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans. The company placed 45 affected employees on unpaid leave with benefits, citing legal compliance while it navigates the situation’s complexities.

U.S. Business Owners Face Uncertain Future for Venezuelan Employees With Temporary Status
ABIC estimates TPS holders add $31 billion to the U.S. economy through wages and spending power.

The Supreme Court’s order, handed down Monday, affects 350,000 Venezuelans who were granted Temporary Protected Status by President Biden in 2023 for humanitarian reasons. Biden had extended their protections through October 2026, but the new ruling puts their legal status at risk.

1 in 5 Business Owners Have Lost Employees Due to Deportations
According to a Clarify Capitol report, 20% of business owners have lost employees due to deportations, visa denials, or ICE raids in the past year. As a result, 69% say they’ve lost customers, and nearly half are considering relocating to states with looser immigration policies. Additionally, 72% have cut hours, delayed growth, or closed locations due to hiring challenges. The study was based on responses from more than 1,000 business owners.

“The big names on Wall Street aren’t the ones feeling the heat from these immigration crackdowns. It’s the 99 percent, the small businesses that keep America running.”
Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group

Miami Archbishop: End of Birthright Citizenship Would Cause Complete Chaos
Thomas Wenski, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Miami, writes in an op-ed that a Trump proposal to limit birthright citizenship based on ancestry is unconstitutional and harmful. He warns it would create a stateless underclass and urges upholding the 14th Amendment’s promise of citizenship for all born in the U.S.

Newhouse: Farm Workforce Modernization Act Could Succeed because of Progress at the Border and Farmers Voicing Urgency
Congress is considering the bipartisan immigration reform bill, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, reintroduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA). The legislation aims to protect undocumented agricultural workers from deportation and help stabilize the farm labor force by providing employers with more reliable access to eligible workers.

This is the fourth time the Farm Workforce Modernization Act has been introduced. While the bill passed the House in 2019 and 2021, it stalled in the Senate. Newhouse believes a drop in southern border crossings and strong advocacy from farmers highlighting the business need for a stable workforce could help gain Republican support.

“Farmers are letting their members of Congress know the importance of getting this done.”-Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA)

Industry Spotlight:

Dairy Industry Hopeful for Updates to Farm Worker Process Reforms
The National Milk Producers Federation estimates immigrants make up 51% of the industry’s workforce, and the farms that rely on them produce 79% of U.S. milk. Leaders in the industry are hoping the focus on immigration by the Trump administration could lead to reforms:

“My hope is that we can avoid the loss of employees, ICE on farms, and that we have an opportunity to put a resolution in before we get there,” said Doug Chapin, a dairy farmer in central Michigan and chair of the Michigan Milk Producers Association board.

Chris Galen, senior vice president of membership services and strategic initiatives with the National Milk Producers Federation shared his perspective with Ag Info

[insert quote graphic coming, below quote can be in text]
“Our message continues to be that we know that there are undocumented workers throughout the economy, and if they were to suddenly disappear, that would cause food shortages in the food system in other aspects of the economy, as well as long-term challenges as well,” Galen said.

Enforcement and Deportation

Hawaii’s Kona Coffee Fields Have Become a Target for ICE

“The futures of coffee farmers and these workers are tied together, whether we like it or not…If it dies, I don’t know how we come back.” -Jeanne Kapela, state lawmaker and coffee grower

Federal immigration agents have been conducting operations on a rural Hawaiian island, home to 200,000 people, as part of the Trump administration’s expanded crackdown. Though only a few dozen arrests have been made, the presence of ICE has spread fear throughout the community, targeting even those with no criminal records.

IRS Participates in Immigration Raid at Washington Beverage Company

IRS criminal investigators participated in an immigration raid at a Kent, Wash. beverage company, resulting in 17 arrests. The operation marks one of the first enforcements involving the IRS since the Trump administration made an agreement with the IRS that allows the agency to share information from employee tax records with immigration officials.

Uptick in ICE Arrests at Courthouses
Homeland Security is ramping up enforcement at immigration courts nationwide, testing new legal tools under Trump’s administration to carry out arrests. The Associated Press reported detentions and arrests at immigration courthouses in Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York, Seattle, Chicago and Texas.

Trump’s “Project Homecoming” Begins with Voluntary Deportations to Honduras and Columbia

More than 60 undocumented immigrants departed Houston on a free flight Monday as part of the Trump administration’s new enforcement effort, which offers $1,000 and transport home for people who voluntarily deport. Homeland Security warned those who don’t self-deport will face fines, arrest, and a lifetime reentry ban. The first flight took individuals to Honduras and Colombia, as Trump pushes toward his goal of 1 million deportations this year.

Get Involved

  1. Join one of ABIC’s Councils of 100 and let your voice be heard with your peers – sign up here. The Council of 100 is a coalition of top business leaders working to advance common-sense workforce solutions.
  2. Share your story: 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.
  3. We’re hiring! ABIC is looking for a new Field Director to help lead our national campaigns. Learn more and apply here.

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