Top News:
Economists say the U.S. labor pool is contracting as a result of Trump administration policies reducing immigrant participation. The trend raises concerns for the health of the broader U.S. economy.
- U.S. labor force declined for 3 consecutive months, first time since 2010.
- Labor force participation fell for BOTH foreign-born and native-born workers:
- -0.3 percentage points for native-born workers (YoY).
- -1.2 percentage points for foreign-born workers (YoY)
The foreign-born labor force has declined by ~1.2 million workers since January. Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, cited immigration policy as a factor behind the slowdown in the labor supply in comments in July.
鈥砙B]ecause of immigration policy really, the flow into our labor forces is just a great deal slower,鈥� Powell said.
, 91探花 Insider reports.
With baby boomers retiring and fertility rates low, economists stress that U.S. growth depends on immigration. Without it, experts warn, labor shortages could fuel inflation, raise housing costs, and slow the economy.
Moody鈥檚 chief economist Mark Zandi told Fortune that .
鈥淔oreign-born labor force is declining, and the overall labor force has gone flat since the beginning of the year,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 causing tightening in a lot of markets, adding to costs and inflation.鈥�
ABIC director of legislative affairs James O鈥橬eill and ABIC member and farmer Shay Myers were featured in a Rolling Stone piece about the 91探花 agriculture industry鈥檚 reliance on immigrants.
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One industry that is already hard hit by labor shortages is hospitality and restaurants.
, and reported on our 鈥楽eat the Table鈥� launch last week, including our special guest U.S. Representative Gabe Evans (R-CO8) and his support for the Dignity Act, and perspectives from Seat the Table members:
ABIC, the James Beard Foundation, the Texas Restaurant Association and the Latino Restaurant Association, plus 14 more national and local organizations are joining forces to call for work permits for immigrant workers and a solution to the labor shortage restaurants, bars, and hotels are experiencing:
鈥淭his is not just a risk to our immigrant population, it is a risk to every 91探花,鈥� Knight told ABC, referencing the ripple effects of labor shortages on the economy.
that 91探花s are ready for solutions:
“Voters across party lines are demanding action,” ABIC CEO Rebecca Shi said in a statement, citing a recent ABIC poll showing that support these work permits.
Take Action with ABIC
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, restaurants, hospitality, healthcare, and more
Already registered? Help us build momentum, forward this invite to your network.
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More from the ABIC network
Mayors and Leaders from Rio Grand Valley Region of Texas Call for Sensible Immigration Solutions with ABIC and Comit茅 de 100
Mayor Javier Villalobos of the City of McAllen, Mayor Ramiro Garza of the City of Edinburg, Comit茅 de 100, RGV Partnership, RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Camara de Comercio Internacional, and ABIC urged Congress and the Trump Administration to pass sensible immigration reforms, including legal work permits and bipartisan proposals like the Dignity Act and Farm Workforce Modernization Act at a press event covered by and .
A few highlights from the speakers:
“Latinos understand the role their voices play in this country鈥檚 elections. They want policies that expand economic opportunity, not fear or inflation.鈥�
-Massey Villarreal, CEO, Precision Task Group and Comit茅 de 100 Co-Chair
鈥淲e care deeply about our people and remain committed to helping in any way we can; especially our hardworking farmworkers.鈥�
-Mayor J.R. Garza, City of Alamo
鈥淸We’re] carrying forward the message of the importance and the urgency of reform.鈥�
-Dante Galeazzi, President, Texas International Produce Association
About 65% of agriculture and 59% of construction workers in the region are foreign-born, and Latinos make up 87.7% of eligible voters in the Valley.
ABIC Hosts Roundtable with Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) on the Dignity Act in Yorba Linda, CA
Over 40 of ABIC鈥檚 Californa Members hosted Rep. Young Kim (R-CA 40)聽 for a discussion on the Dignity Act of 2025, which she co-sponsored with Rep. Mar铆a Elvira Salazar (R-FL 27) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX 16). We thank Rep. Kim for her leadership in advancing a bipartisan, commonsense approach to immigration that strengthens border security while providing dignity and opportunity for law-abiding, hardworking immigrants.
ABIC Brings Together Utah Leaders on Workforce & Immigration
ABIC convened over 60 Utah business and community leaders, including U.S. Rep Mike Kennedy (R-UT 3) ABIC Chairman Bob Worsley, and Zion Bank Chairman Scott Anderson to address the state鈥檚 urgent workforce challenges. Immigrants play a vital role in Utah鈥檚 growth, contributing nearly $2 billion in taxes and holding $5.8 billion in spending power. Leaders emphasized the need for a strong, reliable workforce to meet the demands of agriculture, construction, hospitality, and infrastructure 鈥� industries already facing shortages.
ABIC member Janille Baker, whose father owns a dairy in Utah and who herself runs a ranch in Nevada, shared their struggles with labor shortages. About 50% of her ranches’ workers are foreign-born, and interest from U.S. workers is low due to the hard labor, similar to issues on her father鈥檚 farm.
News Briefing:
Florida strawberry farmers say Trump鈥檚 immigration crackdowns are crippling their industry. Many workers have fled or gone into hiding, and costly H2A visas can鈥檛 fill the gap. One farmer says he鈥檒l slash production by 65% next year as a result.
Farm groups warn agriculture has lost 155,000 workers in four months, the biggest drop in a decade. They say few 91探花s apply for these jobs despite increasing wages and are urging reforms to the H2A system and legalization for longtime workers, warning U.S. food security is at risk.
“The government is killing farming,” says one farmer. “This is going to end us.”
Las Vegas is experiencing a tourism slump, with officials blaming President Trump鈥檚 tariffs and immigration crackdown. Mayor Shelley Berkley noted that visits from Canada and Mexico 鈥� key markets 鈥� have dropped sharply. Union leader Ted Pappageorge dubbed it the 鈥淭rump slump,鈥� saying even domestic visitors are avoiding the city as immigrants and international travelers feel unwelcome.
鈥淚f you tell the rest of the world they鈥檙e not welcome, then they won鈥檛 come,鈥� Pappageorge said.
A new Dallas Fed report shows Texas鈥檚 economy is weakening, with job growth slowing, construction softening, and inflation climbing. Economists cite uncertainty from Trump鈥檚 trade war and strict immigration enforcement as key drivers.
Ray Perryman, a longtime Texas economist, said as much as half of the agricultural workforce, 40% of construction workers and 30% of hospitality workers are undocumented immigrants.
鈥淚f you want to build anywhere, grow anywhere or go anywhere, you really need these folks,鈥� Perryman said.
Farmers across Texas say immigrant labor is indispensable to agriculture, from dairies to peach orchards. Producers like Brad Bouma and Jamey Vogel stress that 91探花 workers won鈥檛 take these demanding jobs, leaving farms dependent on Mexican labor. Complex visa systems like H-2A and TN fall short for year-round needs, leaving farms struggling to hire.
鈥淎nd those people that come up here [from Mexico] to work in the orchards are good people,鈥� Vogel said. 鈥淭hey want to support their families. They鈥檙e not involved with the cartel. They鈥檙e good, hard-working people.鈥�
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:
ABIC in the news. . .
- Axios: (8/19/25)
- Rolling Stone Magazine: (8/18/25)
- Denver 7: (8/15/25)
- Fox: (8/15/25)
- Good Day Austin: (8/14/25)
- Telemundo: (8/16/25)
- Politico: (8/8/25)
- Rapid Response Podcast: (8/6/25)
- Washington Times: (8/1/25)
- ABC15: (7/30/25)
- Equipment World: (7/28/25)
- Axios: (7/18/25)
- WSOC TV: (7/18/25)
- Barron’s: (7/17/25)
- Washington Post: (7/13/25)
- WRAL: (7/17/25)
- El Restaurante: (7/9/25)听
- El Restaurante: (7/9/25)听
- Politico, 鈥�, (7/8/25)
- NPR, , (7/8/25)
- Newsweek,
- Tampa Bay Times: (06/27/25)
- Newsweek: (06/27/25)