Trump administration reverses pause on immigration ICE raids on farms, hotels, restaurants
The Trump administration has reversed an order to pause immigration raids targeting farms, hotels, restaurants and meat-packing plants, The Washington Post reports.
The reversal came just days after officials were instructed to refrain from conducting immigration operations in these locations.
The Washington Post reports that officials with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, including members of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations division, told agency leaders that they must continue immigration raids targeting these locations. The order comes as President Donald Trump's top aide, Stephen Miller, has demanded that ICE carry out 3,000 arrests each day.
The Trump administration issued a pause on raids following a post from President Donald Trump on Thursday, June 12, questioning the economic impacts of these raids. In a post on Truth Social, he acknowledged concerns from agricultural and hospitality businesses about losing “very good, long-time workers” due to broad enforcement actions.
Farmworkers' unions across the U.S. stated that the pause on raids was not respected. Leaders of the Border Agricultural Workers project in El Paso stated that raids were carried out in the days following the pause.
"We don't trust it," said Rosemary Rojas, who works with the El Paso-based Border Agricultural Workers Project. "It doesn't matter if it is signed, it doesn't matter if it comes out of Trump's mouth, it doesn't matter where it comes from. We are seeing the opposite."
'Targeting criminals' during immigration ICE raids
Trump entered office promising to carry out a campaign of mass deportation, largely targeting alleged criminals. But the administration has targeted immigrants in legal immigration processes and people who work in the service industry.
“There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts,” Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for DHS, said Monday, according to the Washington Post. “Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability.”
However, the unions that represent farmworkers challenge the narrative that criminals are working in the fields, harvesting produce or packing meat products.
"Criminals do not work on the farms, they do not hide on the farms," said Rosemary Rojas, who works with the El Paso-based Border Agricultural Workers Project. "This is such a false lie."
Programs exist to enable farm workers to enter the United States legally and remain in the country. While it is estimated that 42% of farm workers are undocumented, many farm workers often come to the U.S. through the H-2A visa program or are already U.S. residents, Rojas said.
Trump has promised to expand his immigration enforcement raids into cities like Chicago and New York following the mass raids in Los Angeles, which resulted in the spread of massive protests across the United States.
Jeff Abbott covers the border for the El Paso Times and can be reached at:jdabbott@gannett.com; @palabrasdeabajo on Twitter or @palabrasdeabajo.bsky.social on Bluesky.