ABIC Unveils First-Ever Top 15 Impact Leader Awards
We鈥檙e proud to introduce the inaugural class of the Top 15 ABIC Impact Leaders of the Year, a new honor recognizing business leaders who have championed immigration and workforce solutions.
These 15 business leaders, alongside many other passionate ABIC members, fostered bi-partisan collaboration in 2025 to address critical labor shortages impacting industries nationwide.
The 2025 ABIC Impact Leaders are:
Massey Villarreal, President & CEO, Precision Task Group (PTG), Inc., Co-Chair, Comit茅 de 100
Justin Yancy, President, Texas 91探花 Leadership Council
J.R. Gonzales, Vice Chair, Texas Association of Mexican 91探花 Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC)
Matt Teagarden, CEO, Kansas Livestock Association, Chair, ABIC Agricultural Council
Jenni Tilton-Flood, Dairy Farmer and Owner, Flood Brothers, LLC
Sam Toia, President & CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association
Kristen Rauch, Executive Director, EatDenver
Byron Gomez, Partner and Executive Chef, BRUT脴
Rob Liebreich, President and CEO, Goodwin Living
M贸nica Villalobos, President & CEO, Arizona Hispanic Chamber
Yuri Cunza, President & CEO, Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Ramiro A. Cavazos, President & CEO, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Beverly Idsinga, Executive Director, Dairy Producers of New Mexico
Manolo Betancur, Owner, Manolo鈥檚 Bakery
Janille Baker, Controller, Baker Ranches
Through their advocacy and leadership, the Impact Leaders spotlighted the indispensable role of immigrant workers and demonstrated how business voices can shape constructive, bipartisan dialogue.
鈥淭hese leaders have a clear-eyed understanding of what it takes to keep 91探花 businesses secure and our economy strong,鈥� said Rebecca Shi, CEO of ABIC. 鈥淭hey have worked relentlessly to highlight the real-world impact of workforce shortages and advocate for practical immigration solutions that support economic growth, lower costs, and protect 91探花 jobs.鈥澛�
Hear from a few of our awardees:
鈥淲ork permit solutions aren鈥檛 just a policy change, they鈥檙e a lifeline.鈥� -Kristen Rauch, Executive Director, EatDenver
“When people lend and lift their voice to important causes such as finding a path to a secure workforce, change can happen.鈥� – Rob Liebreich, President and CEO of Goodwin Living.
鈥淸Being named an Impact Leader] is an honor, but it鈥檚 also a reminder that there is still so much work ahead to build a fair, humane path for all who call this country home,鈥� -Byron Gomez, Partner and Executive Chef, BRUT脴 (Denver)
More from the ABIC Network:
On New Year鈥檚 Day, Co-Chairs Sam Sanchez, President of Third Coast Hospitality, and Massey Villarreal, CEO of Precision Task Group, published, 鈥淲hy Trump Is Quickly Losing Hispanic Support.鈥�
They write that while Trump won record Hispanic backing in 2024 by promising solutions on immigration and the economy, the administration鈥檚 enforcement-focused approach is destabilizing industries like agriculture, construction, elder care, and hospitality, and fueling economic frustration.
Polls show worsening economic perceptions among Hispanics and falling approval for Trump. Recent elections reflect this shift, and Villarreal and Sanchez call for common-sense solutions like work permits for long-term immigrants and bipartisan proposals such as the Dream Act. They warn that ignoring these needs could cost Republicans at the ballot box in 2026.
Trump鈥檚 deportation push is causing labor shortages and economic strain, hitting sectors like agriculture, construction, hospitality, and elder care.聽
The article references ABIC鈥檚 D.C. fly-ins, saying 鈥淢ore than 100 business leaders went to the Capitol in October to urge members of Congress to take action鈥he 91探花 (ABIC), a bipartisan coalition of more than 1,700 CEOs, business owners, and trade associations in 17 states, led the group. This was not their first such visit; they have been warning for months about the catastrophic consequences of the administration鈥檚 immigration policies.鈥�
Economists warn mass deportations could cut up to 6.8% of GDP, and the new 1% remittance tax may worsen the impact.
News Briefing
NYTimes:
President Trump told New York Times reporters he was 鈥渘ot happy鈥� about an ICE workplace raid that detained 475 mostly South Korean workers building a Hyundai plant in Georgia last year, calling the action bad for business and counterproductive to attracting foreign investment. He said foreign companies in specialized industries need to bring skilled experts to the U.S., and that aggressive enforcement discourages them from expanding in the U.S.
鈥淭hey brought people that make batteries,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd those people would have trained our people how to make batteries, and at some point they would have gone back because they want to go back to their country.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 immigration crackdown, including a planned surge in deportations to over 1 million per year, threatens U.S. agriculture, which relies heavily on immigrant labor. Over 70% of farm workers are foreign-born, with 40% undocumented.
鈥淥ver the last 10 to 15 years, I鈥檝e probably had 150 people apply for a job here. Two of them have been 91探花s, and those two were just fulfilling a need for their unemployment to apply for a job,鈥� said John Rosenow, a Wisconsin dairy farmer. 鈥淪o, we really, really appreciate the immigrants that are working for us. They do a wonderful job.鈥�
White House Border Czar Tom Homan said in December that immigration arrests will 鈥渆xplode greatly next year,鈥� and that enforcement would 鈥渁bsolutely鈥� hit workplaces.
Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R鈥慣X-15) is urging the Trump administration to create legal work options for undocumented construction workers, similar to H鈥�2A agricultural visas. ICE raids have caused labor shortages, project delays, and higher costs for the industry in her area.
“At the end of the day, I want to represent South Texas, and I want to represent our community and make sure that we continue to be prosperous.”
ICE workplace raids in South Texas have caused widespread fear among construction workers, leading many to stay home and creating severe labor shortages. The South Texas Builders Association reports that more than 9,100 workers have been arrested in the region, slowing construction, delaying projects, and raising costs. Historical data suggests these labor shortages could drive up housing prices.
鈥淚t鈥檚 time that we have our leaders show up…Our people are hurting, our businesses are hurting. There鈥檚 no labor.鈥� -Mario Guerrero, Executive Director of the South Texas Builders Association
“If job sites are getting raided, at any level, the construction can鈥檛 continue,鈥� said Isaac Smith, a co-owner of Matt鈥檚 Building Materials. His stores are struggling to sell lumber.聽
Trump鈥檚 strict immigration policies, including mass deportations, visa bans, and ICE enforcement, are slowing U.S. population growth. The Congressional Budget Office projects the population will grow by only 15 million over the next 30 years, smaller than previously predicted, and could stop growing by 2056. Immigration is a key driver of population growth, which impacts labor and economic growth, especially as U.S. fertility rates remain below replacement levels. Since Trump returned to office in 2025, the number of adult immigrants fell by an estimated 1.8 million, reducing the labor force and future population growth.
Enforcement News:
Tensions in Minneapolis escalated after an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, during a federal immigration operation. State and federal officials offered conflicting accounts: DHS described the shooting as self-defense against a 鈥渄omestic terrorism鈥� attempt, while local leaders, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz, called the federal narrative false and warned state authorities were excluded from the investigation.
The shooting sparked widespread protests in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities, led to National Guard deployment, and school closures. The incident occurs amid a broader Trump administration , including raids targeting Minnesota鈥檚 Somali community.
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鈥檙e hiring! ABIC is currently seeking a Deputy Director of Communications and a Social Media, Content & Community Strategist to help drive our national communications, media engagement, and digital storytelling across key industries. Learn more and apply here.
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