DHS Resumes Immigration Raids on Farms and Hotels A Few Days After Trump Announces a Pause

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President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda is again in flux, leaving farmers, hotel owners, and undocumented workers uncertain about what comes next. Just last week, the administration said it would ease up on immigration raids in labor-reliant sectors like agriculture and hospitality. That guidance, sent to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), instructed agents to halt workplace operations in these industries. But by Monday, the White House had reversed course. ICE agents were ordered to resume enforcement at agricultural businesses, hotels, and restaurants. Trump himself posted on Truth Social that ICE must deliver the “single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” targeting illegal immigrants across the country, especially in Democratic-run cities. Despite this stated focus, agents quickly resumed action in rural communities and red-state strongholds.

Policy Whiplash Fuels Chaos on the Ground

The sudden change caught many off guard. Officials at the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the reversal in an internal call with ICE field offices. The initial pause had followed strong lobbying from farm and hotel executives who warned that sweeping raids could severely disrupt food supply chains and essential services.

Citing economic risks, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins supported a pause in immigration raids in certain businesses. But she was overruled by hardliners like White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oppose any carveouts for undocumented labor. Their push won out, and ICE resumed worksite raids across states like California and Nebraska.

The back-and-forth has unsettled not just undocumented workers but also industry leaders. Roughly 42% of crop farmworkers lack legal status, according to the Agriculture Department. Seasonal visa programs like H-2A don’t cover many farm jobs, leaving producers dependent on a workforce now at risk of detention.

Immigration Raids Resume: Blue States Targeted, Red States Hit

Trump’s latest message suggests a focus on Democratic cities. However, ICE raids have already resumed in places like Ventura County, California, and meatpacking facilities in Nebraska. These areas are critical to the nation’s food supply and heavily reliant on undocumented labor.

Some Republicans have voiced concern over the immigration raids. House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson criticized raids on producers as “just wrong,” while other GOP lawmakers said they were assured agriculture wouldn’t be targeted. Yet enforcement operations continue in rural zones, with reports of family separations and disrupted harvests.

Industry groups warn the effects will ripple outward. During last week’s enforcement spike, fields were left half-picked, and workers fled job sites. “We saw boxes of strawberries abandoned mid-row,” said one farmworker advocate in Oxnard, California. “People were too afraid to return.”

Uncertain Road Ahead for Employers and Workers

The political dynamics behind the reversals remain complex. Trump is navigating pressure from immigration hawks and industry leaders, both essential parts of his coalition. While his administration says sanctuary cities remain the top priority, its actual enforcement footprint suggests a broader sweep.

Union leaders and immigrant advocates remain skeptical of any stated policy shift. “We don’t believe there’s such a thing as a ‘safe’ industry right now,” said Elizabeth Strater of United Farm Workers. “The message is clear: anyone without papers is fair game.”

Even those close to the administration acknowledge internal divisions. Trump has expressed openness to solutions for farmers but continues to back Miller and Noem’s hardline goals. The result is a volatile enforcement landscape where employers cannot predict whether they’ll be raided or spared by next week.

With peak harvest season underway and labor in short supply, farmers fear the renewed raids will break already fragile operations. “It’s not about politics for us,” said one farm owner in New York. “It’s about who’s going to show up to work tomorrow.”

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