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Know this Now — June 20, 2025

By June 20, 2025No Comments

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Top news:

ABIC Employers and House Freedom Caucus Chairman Press for Work Visas for Essential Workers, as Concern Continues to Grow Around Agriculture Raids


ABIC, U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD-01), and business leaders from the agriculture and hospitality industry hosted a highly-attended press call Tuesday to discuss recent immigration enforcement policy and the impact on workforce stability and industry operations. You can watch the full event here.

Last week, President Trump paused immigration raids on farms, restaurants and hotels after hearing feedback from employers concerned about their workers:

“They’ve been here for 20-25 years and they’ve worked great and the owner of the farm loves them… and then you’re supposed to throw them out.. We’re going to have an order on that pretty soon. We can’t do that to our farmers…We can’t do that to our farmers and leisure, too, hotels.” – President Trump, June 12, 2025

Despite reports this week of a reversal of that guidance  within the Department of Homeland Security, ABIC and industry leaders remained optimistic that President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins will keep the conversation going given their strong public support for American farmers, hospitality, other critical industries, and their workforce challenges.


Secretary Rollins had previously told Farm Progress the administration was working on guidelines for noncitizen farmworkers, and said she’s seen first hand how labor shortages are hurting production across agriculture.

Senate Agriculture Committee chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) told Axios he plans to meet with Secretary Rollins again soon to discuss the worksite raids issue. In the meantime, he’s been fielding complaints from farmers across the country.

“A lot of their workforce have questionable papers, and so they’re concerned,” Boozman said. “When you get mixed signals, it breeds uncertainty. So it’s hard for businesses to plan”

Add Graphic: House Agriculture Committee Chair GT THompson (R-PA): 

House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson, R-Pa., told the media the raids on agriculture producers were “just wrong.”

“Let’s go after the criminals and give us time to put processes in place so we don’t disrupt the food supply chain,” Thompson told Politico.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers spoke out about his concern that the raids on farms could leave a void in essential agricultural roles.

“If suddenly those people disappear, I don’t know who the hell is going to milk the cows.” -Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers

At the ABIC event Tuesday, House Freedom Chairman Dr. Andy Harris and employers pressed for a path to work for immigrants already contributing to farms, restaurants, construction and critical sectors.

Industry leaders also shared how enforcement raids on worksites created fear and uncertainty among both documented and undocumented workers, leading to a worsening labor shortage and food inflation crisis.


They joined together to call for long-term, bi-partisan policy solutions to address labor challenges and economic realities of their industries.


“We’ve heard growing concern from our members across multiple sectors,” ABIC CEO Rebecca Shi told the Washington Examiner. “They’re sweeping up essential workers who are doing critical jobs and contributing to their communities.
Read selected coverage of the ABIC press event:

We need your voice in this conversation:

1. Dial the Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

  1. Ask to speak with your U.S. Representative or Senator
  2. Urge them to:
    ✅ Work with President Trump and Secretary Rollins to protect our farms, restaurants, hotels and other industries

✅ Pass legal work visas for essential workers to secure America’s workforce

More from the ABIC Network:

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

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. 

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

Enforcement News

Reaction to Recent Immigration Enforcement on Farms Includes Warnings from Union President and Lawmaker

Teresa Romero, president of United Farm Workers (UFW), says farmworkers are “terrified” but some are still showing up for work because they need to feed their families. She warns the ripple effects of enforcement raids could impact dinner tables nationwide.

“These are not criminals. These are people responsible for putting food on our table,” Romero told NPR. “And now they’re being taken without warrants, without explanation. That’s not who we are as a country.”

Sen. Jim Justice (R-West Virginia) issued his own warning in the Washington Post:

“If we don’t watch out in this country, we’re going to start losing a lot more of our farmers,” said Sen. Jim Justice (R-West Virginia). “It will become a crisis like you can’t imagine, because we owe so much to the American family farm.”

Kim Skellie, Vice President of the New York Farm Bureau, told NPR “We absolutely support securing the border,” but called out how tense farming operations are in this moment.

“It’s also put a lot of dairy farm employees on edge worrying about, you know, what their status is going to be…if there’s going to be a raid on a farm that may change their lives significantly and change the lives of the owners of the farm as well.”

Immigration Raid at Louisiana Racetrack Ends with More Than 80 Arrests
ICE arrested more than 80 undocumented individuals during a raid at Delta Downs Racetrack, Hotel and Casino in southwest Louisiana, the agency announced Tuesday.

“To come in and take that many workers away and leave the horse racing operation stranded and without workers is unacceptable,” said Peter Ecabert, general counsel for the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, which represents 29,000 thoroughbred racehorse owners and trainers.

“If they (ICE) were willing to come in and try and work with us, we are willing to make sure things are done in an orderly way…but what they have done here leaves everyone in a bad situation.”
-Peter Ecabert, General Counsel for the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association

Watch: The ICE Raid in Nebraska that Shocked Officials And Split Families

The mass raid last week at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha is having far reaching impacts on the community and the local workforce.

“A lot of these individuals have been here for many years, if not decades, raising a family here, have citizen children and family members here, and they don’t fit that profile of being the high-level criminals that are supposed to be the priority for immigration enforcement,” Douglas County Commissioner Roger Garcia told NBC.

Watch: ICE Raid at Car Wash Prompts Business Shutdown

ICE agents raided Galaxy Auto Detail in Downey, California, capturing the arrest of two employees on surveillance video. One worker attempted to flee before being apprehended. The business owner says repeated raids have left her employees terrified and forced her to shut down operations.

“I am frustrated because these guys that they picked up are good gentlemen,” the business owner said. “They don’t have so much as a ticket, and their families are suffering.”

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.

Key Employer Resources:

ABIC in the news. . .

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