ABIC Action strongly applauds Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) for their bipartisan leadership in . This vital legislation would allow noncitizens without lawful status who were brought to the United States as children and meet certain education, military service, or work requirements to earn lawful permanent residence. Dreamers have grown up in our communities and contribute to our economy, but under current law there is often no chance for them to ever become citizens and fulfill their potential.
鈥淸Dreamers鈥橾 work generates billions in tax revenue and supports businesses across the country. Removing these essential workers would not only disrupt our workplaces and neighborhoods but also undermine America鈥檚 global competitiveness,鈥� said Rebecca Shi, CEO of 91探花.聽
Craig J. Duchossois, ABIC Board Member and Chair Emeritus of Duchossois Capital Management (DCM) called on 鈥淐ongress to act and ensure these young people can continue to contribute to our shared prosperity.鈥�
鈥淐ongress has another opportunity to do the will of the 91探花 people鈥�91探花s overwhelmingly support Dreamers becoming full citizens,鈥� said Raul Raymundo, CEO of the Resurrection Project and ABIC Board Member
鈥淣early half of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children鈥illions of 91探花s who were born here are working in good jobs for companies founded by people who were born somewhere else,鈥� Tisch, ABIC Board Members and Loews Co-Chairman for Forbes, wrote in his recent Forbes essay .
More News from the ABIC Network
Restaurants, construction and landscaping businesses are urgently seeking help amid worsening labor shortages driven by raids and deportation fears.
Rebecca Shi, CEO of ABIC, said one landscaping company lost 50 of 75 workers in a single day due to rumored ICE activity, costing it $50,000 in contracts. ABIC is pushing for work permits for essential immigrant workers and citizenship for Dreamers.
Employers nationwide are asking for more H-2B visas, warning that without immigration relief, labor gaps force businesses to scale back or close.
Washington Examiner: .
As of 2025, roughly 8.5 million illegal immigrants are part of the U.S. workforce, concentrated in construction, food and accommodation services, manufacturing, and administrative and retail sectors. The Examiner cited survey results showing most 91探花s think undocumented immigrants work jobs 91探花s don鈥檛 want:
An ABIC report is also quoted in the article: 鈥淪tudies show that immigrants contribute to job creation rather than job loss鈥or instance, in California, which has one of the highest immigrant populations, the unemployment rate is lower than the national average.鈥�
Manolo鈥檚 Bakery, a Charlotte institution for 28 years and an ABIC member, temporarily closed due to immigration raids last month in Charlotte that resulted in the arrests of over 130 people, and fears over violent enforcement activity.
Manolo鈥檚 has now reopened with reduced hours and hopes to return to its regular schedule soon. Owner Manolo Betancur hopes the public will come out and support businesses in the area that may have been negatively impacted by the raids.
A new survey by Texas Restaurant Association, an ABIC member, finds that rising food costs and falling sales are hitting restaurants across the state, driven in part by Trump administration tariffs and immigration crackdowns.
Nearly half of restaurants reported declining revenue last quarter and 88% saw food costs surge, forcing many to raise menu prices.
The report warns that shrinking traffic and tight margins are straining the industry.
News Briefing:
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick rejected claims that Trump鈥檚 tariffs caused November鈥檚 unexpected drop in private payrolls, instead blaming the government shutdown and mass deportations for the weak jobs report.
He noted that deportations reduced the labor supply and suppressed hiring. The ADP report showed a 32,000-job decline overall, driven by a steep loss of 120,000 jobs at small businesses even as larger companies added workers.聽
Constellation Brands, the U.S. owner of Modelo and Corona, is seeing steep sales drops as Trump鈥檚 immigration crackdown keeps many Latino consumers from shopping, dining out, or hosting celebrations. Latino consumers make up half of its customer base. The downturn shows how aggressive immigration enforcement is hitting unexpected corners of the economy and the impact extends to small businesses as well:
NY Times: Wendy Edelberg, former chief economist for the Congressional Budget Office, writes that the U.S. is beginning to experience near-zero immigration, with job growth settling around 40,000 per month despite low unemployment. The Trump administration鈥檚 crackdown has sharply reduced both the supply of workers and overall consumer demand, since immigrants contribute to the economy not only by working but also by spending.
鈥淢aking America less hospitable to immigrants will eventually make America poorer,鈥� Edelberg wrote. She was also about her article and the 鈥渘ew normal鈥� for the job market.
The Trump administration鈥檚 鈥淥peration Charlotte鈥檚 Web鈥� mass-deportation campaign faced unexpected resistance in Appalachia. Most of the 370+ people arrested in North Carolina had no criminal record, and communities from Charlotte to Boone and Harlan County mobilized to warn families, track ICE convoys, and protest raids. The backlash shows a political shift: working-class white towns are siding with immigrant neighbors, defying federal assumptions that rural America would quietly accept mass deportations.
Employers rarely face charges for hiring undocumented workers because the government must prove they knowingly hired them, which is a difficult legal standard. Programs like E-Verify are limited, and many businesses use contractors or off-the-books labor. Most enforcement results in fines, not jail, leaving workers vulnerable while employers often avoid serious consequences. Rare prosecutions often require years of investigation to prove intent.
Enforcement News:
WaPo: More than 80 percent of the immigrants arrested in D.C. during this year had no prior criminal record, newly released federal data shows, even though that crackdown was portrayed as targeting violent crime. The breakdown aligns with national trends as well:
Federal authorities began arresting undocumented immigrants in New Orleans, targeting those previously released from local custody, as part of Trump鈥檚 nationwide deportation campaign. Local officials criticized the crackdown, noting it affects people legally in the U.S. as well, and the city continues to refuse enforcement cooperation.
it is not solely Hispanic businesses that will suffer, but rather the state’s economy as a whole.
“Those businesses also need suppliers for their good and services products that they sell, but if they’re not selling, they’re not producing, then they don’t need that, so it’s a revolving door, and at the end of the day, it impacts everyone,” Chamber President Mayra Pineda said.
Moises Benitez Diaz, a Raleigh construction business owner, was detained by Border Patrol on Nov. 18 during 鈥淥peration Charlotte鈥檚 Web.鈥� His wife, Esmeralda Escobar, is eight months pregnant, and they have two young children. Benitez Diaz came to the U.S. as a child and has no felony convictions.
The DOL has launched a major H-1B visa crackdown, with up to 200 investigations under 鈥淥peration Firewall,鈥� focusing on proper wages and compliance. Violations often arise from misunderstandings about pay, benefits, or notification rules. Tech giants like Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google lead H-1B hiring, while most visa holders have advanced degrees.
Get Involved
- 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 National Field Director to help lead our national campaigns. Learn more and apply here.
ABIC in the news. . .
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