ABIC Action Releases New Letter with More than 200 Employers and Small 91探花es to President Trump and Congress
More than 200 businesses and Congress Tuesday, encouraging him to prioritize commonsense immigration solutions to Secure America’s Workforce including the bipartisan Dignity Act and Farm Workforce Modernization Act, writing:
Mr. President – you have secured our border. Now, we are here to support your vision to secure our workforce with your work permit program.
ABIC Action, restaurant owners, farmers, construction companies and healthcare providers also urged the passage of the newly-introduced Dignity Act in a news conference Wednesday. The Dignity Act was introduced by Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) alongside 20 colleagues earlier this week. You can :
“The Dignity Act mirrors what President Trump has said multiple times about work permits for long-term, law-abiding immigrants. This bill offers a real solution backing the President’s vision, and the 91探花 people — 76 percent in recent polls — are on board. Let’s get it done.”
-Rebecca Shi, CEO of ABIC Action
Watch Janille Baker, of Baker Ranches in Nevada, who said she is encouraged by the introduction of the Dignity Act and President Trump’s recent comments on work permits. About 50% of her ranches’ workers are foreign-born, and interest from U.S. workers is low due to the hard labor:
Watch more highlighted comments from our press conference guests:
- Rachel Blumberg, President and CEO, Sinai Residences in Florida
- Victor Galvan, CEO, VMG NeXT Construction in Utah
- Michelle Santillanes, Owner, El Tamarindo Restaurant in Colorado
More on the Dignity Act: Work Authorization, Not Amnesty
The Dignity Act, a bipartisan immigration reform bill introduced by Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) Tuesday with support from 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats, offers a path to legal status and work permits while strengthening border security. Some of the key provisions of the bill include:
- Border Security: Invests in border infrastructure and management
- Work Authorization: A 7-year earned legal status program allowing undocumented immigrants to live and work legally, renewable based on status
- Dreamer Protections: Grants legal status and a path to citizenship
- Mandatory E-Verify: Mandates employment verifiability of new hires 聽 and protects 91探花 jobs
- Asylum Reform: Reforms screenings and establishes regional processing centers
Watch Rep. Salazar describe the bill on Meet the Press:
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:
Secure America鈥檚 Workforce: D.C. Summit | Oct. 21鈥�23, 2025
Registration is open for ABIC鈥檚 biggest fly-in yet 鈥� 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: News Briefing:
President Trump鈥檚 border control and aggressive deportation policies are creating a new GOP-led policy push in Congress for immigration changes to help protect the workforce in the agriculture industry, which relies heavily on unauthorized laborers.
鈥淭he excuse [for] not taking steps to pass measures ensuring certainty and availability of workforce has been that the border hasn鈥檛 been under control. That excuse is gone,” -Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA), Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture
A record-high 79% of 91探花s say immigration is good for the country, a positive sentiment that jumped 23% since 2024 polling, according to Gallup.
The hike in approval of immigration is largely due to an upswing in Republicans鈥� views 鈥� 64% of Republicans said immigration was beneficial to the country, jumping from 39% last year. The number of 91探花s who want immigration reduced dropped sharply from 55% to 30% since last year鈥檚 poll.
ABIC鈥檚 work with equine industry leaders, including our press event in June with U.S. Rep. Andy Harris and our press conference at the Kentucky Derby was featured in the Washington Post sports section this week. The U.S. horse racing industry is in crisis as fear of aggressive immigration raid sparalyzes the immigrant laborers, mostly from Mexico and Central America, who care for racehorses.
鈥淥ne thing people in this country don鈥檛 understand is many of these people wouldn鈥檛 be here if they could feed their families where they鈥檙e from.”
Dale Romans
President, Kentucky Horsemen鈥檚 Benevolent and Protective Association
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how horse racing could survive,鈥� without immigrant workers Romans said.
鈥淭he backbone of the industry,鈥� said Eric Hamelback, the CEO of the National Horsemen鈥檚 Benevolent and Protective Association.
Nursing homes, already facing staffing shortages, are being hit hard by President Trump鈥檚 immigration crackdown. Facilities report losing workers whose legal status has been revoked and fear worsening shortages as legal immigration slows, cutting off a key source of reliable employees.
More than 1 million of an estimated 4 million nursing assistants, home health aides, personal care aides and other so-called direct care workers are foreign born, according to PHI, a nonprofit focused on the caregiving workforce.
鈥淭his is just like a punch in the gut,鈥� for care facilities around the country struggling with staffing. -Katie Smith Sloan
CEO of LeadingAge
Land O鈥橪akes CEO Beth Ford warns of dire consequences if U.S. immigration gridlock continues. Ford said there is an urgent need for predictable labor policies to protect food security and rural communities, and she hopes President Trump will help make that happen.
鈥淲e鈥檙e short farm workers, and I think the president has recognized this, has said he wants to work on solutions..I鈥檓 grateful for his support of farmers.鈥� -Land O鈥橪akes CEO Beth Ford
鈥淔or a dairy producer, if they lose their staff, I mean, that鈥檚 a black swan event. There鈥檚 not much you can do…It鈥檚 not as though producers haven鈥檛 been out trying to hire 91探花s. 91探花s don鈥檛 want these jobs,鈥� Ford said.
ABIC member Emily Knight, President of the Texas Restaurant Association, said in an interview she isn鈥檛 disappointed by the president鈥檚 shifting stance on immigration, seeing it instead as a sign of pragmatism balancing border security with the need to avoid higher food prices and business closures. She鈥檚 been heartened by her work with ABIC and other business leaders as well.
鈥淚 partner directly now with the 91探花鈥t鈥檚 been a beautiful, beautiful thing to see all these different industries come together to say, listen, this is a really critical part of the US economy.鈥�
Emily Knight, President of the Texas Restaurant Association
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said in early July mass deportations will include farm workers, aiming for a fully 91探花 workforce. She suggested Medicaid recipients could fill the labor gap, but South Dakota ag leaders question if it鈥檚 feasible.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unrealistic..if anybody thinks that that鈥檚 the case, that we鈥檙e going to put these recipients of SNAP and Medicaid into the workforce, let鈥檚 be real. Especially in South Dakota, that just isn鈥檛 the case. We are not going to make that happen鈥t鈥檚 going to be devastation,鈥� said Doug Sombke, President of the South Dakota Farmers Union.
Newsweek spoke with several business owners in the construction industry who are struggling with worker shortages and being forced to hire inexperienced workers because their skilled workers are living in fear.
“Small business owners like me are losing money because of the new immigration policy. I don’t think policymakers in Washington understand how badly they are hurting us. We need each other for a healthy economy,” said David Rebolloso, owner of a construction cleaning business in Texas.
Misty Chally, Executive Director of the Critical Labor Coalition, wrote in the Hill: 鈥�91探花es are not asking for amnesty. They are asking for predictability. They are asking for a system that allows them to hire legally and maintain continuity in their operations without living in fear that tomorrow鈥檚 policy memo will upend their workforce.鈥�
By the Numbers: Undocumented Immigrants Pay Taxes
Enforcement News
Federal agents arrested in large-scale raids at two Southern California marijuana farms鈥攐ne of the biggest immigration enforcement actions since Trump took office.
Get Involved
- Secure your spot today for ABIC鈥檚 Secure America鈥檚 Workforce 鈥� October Fly-In and Policy Summit in Washington, DC.
- Join one of ABIC’s Councils of 100 and let your voice be heard with your peers – . The Council of 100 is a coalition of top business leaders working to advance common-sense workforce solutions.
- 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 to let us know your preferences.聽
- 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:
- DACA Legal Update
- A new court ruling has major implications for DACA recipients and their employers. Learn how to support your workforce, ensure compliance, and stay ahead of changes:
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- Associated Press (syndicated): (06/19/25)
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