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Know This Now, July 25, 2025: Top News: Border Czar Says Administration Is “Talking About Policy Changes” For Farmers And Hospitality Now

By July 25, 2025July 28th, 2025No Comments

Top News: Border Czar Says Administration Is “Talking About Policy Changes” For Farmers And Hospitality Now

Border Czar Tom Homan confirmed last week on NewsNation that the Departments of Homeland Security, Labor, and Agriculture are actively discussing possible policy changes related to farmworkers and the hospitality industry.

“The president’s committed: There will be no amnesty. But there’s a lot of smart minds at the White House talking about, ‘Is there something for farmworkers? Is there something for hospitality?”

-White House Border Czar Tom Homan
July 17, 2025

The comments come after President Trump expressed support for farmers and hospitality businesses multiple times this summer, including in early July when he called for a temporary pass program for farm and hotel workers.

Last week, ABIC and more than 200 businesses sent a letter to President Trump and Congress, encouraging them to prioritize commonsense immigration solutions including the bipartisan Dignity Act and Farm Workforce Modernization Act.
Homan said in his interview last week that ICE will follow any official policy changes issued by the administration:

“I expect something will come out soon…My job is to operate within the framework provided me by the administration… So if the president comes up with a policy and says, ‘OK, here’s what we’re going to do with farmworkers,’ then ICE will abide by that policy.”

Americans’ Support for Mass Deportations is Dropping, Support for Immigrants is Increasing, According to Recent Polls 

  • 55% of Americans now disapprove of President Trump’s handling of immigration, while only 40% approve, a new Quinnipiac poll says. A FoxNews poll found similar results, but with a smaller delta, with 46% approving, and 53% disapproving
  • Below 40% now support deporting all undocumented immigrants — down from 56% in April, according to the Quinnipiac poll
  • Nearly 80% support a pathway to citizenship for long-term undocumented immigrants, says the Quinnipiac poll
  • 79% of U.S. adults say immigration is a good thing for the country, according to a recent Gallup poll
  • Net support for mass deportation dropped from +10 before Trump’s inauguration to -4 as of July 10, according to a new Navigator poll

Some GOP Lawmakers Calling for Protections for Undocumented Farm Workers

Some GOP congresspeople are warning that mass deportations of undocumented farmworkers could worsen labor shortages, harm already struggling American farmers and contribute to food insecurity.

  • If we can provide a visa program that allows people to work in our agricultural industry using a legal process, that is so much better than encouraging illegal immigration,” -Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI)
  • “If we don’t have reliability of workforce with agricultural production and agricultural processing, then we have food insecurity… and in the end, we have national insecurity.” -Rep. Glenn “GT”  Thompson, (R-PA)
  • “Now that the southern border is secure…we can start looking at ‘how do we treat seasonal workers, how do we treat agricultural workers?’” -Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, (R-IA)

Thompson, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, says he is concerned about how enforcement actions affect both undocumented and documented workers, but is hopeful the administration will act.

“[Y]ou create a fear factor that even people here legally are afraid and don’t show up. I have shared that very openly with the administration, and I love this administration because they receive feedback…and I have found that they use them in formulating their policies,” he said. 

Latest from the ABIC Network

Sneak Peek: Culinary and Hospitality Leaders, Including James Beard Foundation, Uniting with  ABIC Action for ‘Seat the Table’

ABIC Action is launching a new initiative in early August in partnership with the James Beard Foundation and more than a dozen leading restaurant, food and wine associations to advocate for work permits for long-term, tax-paying immigrants as a first step in commonsense reform.

America’s food and hospitality industries face over one million unfilled jobs, threatening the survival of restaurants, bars, farms, and hotels. Immigrant workers make up over 20% of the restaurant workforce and 36% of restaurant owners, and are essential to keeping these businesses running and supporting local economies. Read more about the platform here, and we’re excited to share more with you soon.

Idaho Farmer Calls for New Look at Immigration Policy Amid Raids

ABIC member and farmer Shay Myers had a conversation with PBS News to discuss the vital impact immigrant workers have on agriculture businesses, communities, and America’s food supply.


“If we snap our fingers and every immigrant, undocumented worker is gone from this country, we will not eat in this country. And it sounds like an exaggeration, but it is not,” Myers said.

“I went to school with kids that were undocumented. My kids go to school in a small town with kids who may not be documented. If we’re going to do things the right way, we need to think about the human, ethical side of mass deportation.”

Axios: ICE Raids Disrupt Utah Restaurants, Fuel Fear

Almost 90,000 undocumented immigrants live in Utah, and nearly half have resided in the state for more than 15 years. Recent ICE raids have disrupted Utah’s restaurant industry, with some immigrants being too afraid to show up to work.

Barron’s: Inside the Immigration Raid That Shook Horse Racing—and What It Means for U.S. Businesses

A recent ICE raid at Louisiana’s Delta Downs racetrack detained 84 workers and triggered industry-wide panic, emphasizing the deep reliance on undocumented labor in horse racing. Horses were left unattended, and nearby tracks cleared out amid fear of further raids. With immigrant labor powering 20% of the U.S. workforce, heightened enforcement is creating sudden, costly disruptions across industries

“The solution should be: People who are here working, paying taxes, who may not be authorized—we should bring them out of the shadows,” says Rebecca Shi

NC Builders Concerned Over Immigration Crackdowns, Worker Shortages

ABIC and business leaders sent a letter to President Trump and Congress last week, including leaders from the construction industry, encouraging them to prioritize commonsense immigration solutions.

Take Action with ABIC

Join 200+ other business leaders and employers and sign onto the letter to President Trump calling for commonsense immigration solutions to Secure America’s Workforce:

Sign the Letter

Secure America’s Workforce: D.C. Summit | Oct. 21–23, 2025

Registration is open for ABIC’s biggest fly-in yet — and we want you with us in Washington, D.C.

This October, join business leaders, advocates, and coalition partners from across the country to:

  • Speak directly with lawmakers about real workforce challenges
  • Champion commonsense, bipartisan immigration solutions
  • Stand united with leaders from agriculture, construction, hospitality, healthcare, and more

Already registered? Help us build momentum,  forward this invite to your network.

Register now or share the link: RSVP Here

Enforcement News

Guardian: How Trump Has Supercharged The Immigration Crackdown – In Data

In the six months since Donald Trump took office, immigration enforcement has intensified dramatically. A Guardian analysis of new data shows:

  • 268% increase in average daily ICE arrests in June 2025 compared to June 2024
  • Over 13,500 people above capacity in detention centers
  • Over 8,100 people deported to countries that are not their home country
  • Majority of those arrested have no criminal convictions


Axios: Noncriminal ICE Arrests Spiked in June

Newly obtained data shows a sharp rise in ICE arrests of people without criminal charges or convictions in June, following a Trump administration directive that tripled ICE’s daily arrest quota from 1,000 to 3,000.

By mid-June, non-criminals made up 47% of daily ICE arrests—up from 21% in early May. Although arrests of those with charges also rose, the increase was far less dramatic. As of June 26, ICE averaged 930 daily arrests, with 42% involving people without any charges or convictions.


Indiana Governor on ICE Arrests Data: “That should raise eyebrows”
Gov. Mike Braun, a strong Trump ally, is voicing concern over a surge in ICE arrests of undocumented immigrants without criminal charges in Indiana. While reaffirming support for deporting those who commit crimes after entering the U.S. illegally, Braun emphasized a “worst first” approach.

In January, only 6% of ICE arrests in Indiana involved non-criminals, increasing to 23% by June.

“If that data is correct, I’d say that should raise eyebrows,” Braun said. “I’ve been clearly on record: the worst first. And there are many of them out there.”

Watch: Workers Arrested at School Construction Site in Alabama

A reported 11 people were arrested during an immigration enforcement operation at the Loxley Elementary School construction site.


Get Involved

  1. Secure your spot today for ABIC’s Secure America’s Workforce — October Fly-In and Policy Summit in Washington, DC. Register here.
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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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ABIC in the news. . . 

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How Trump’s anti-immigrant policies could collapse the US food industry – visualized
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/17/how-many-immigrants-food-industry-workers