Created by the Seat the Table coalition, the campaign urges the federal government to take action on work permits to address rising food costs and protect local businesses.
, a nationwide coalition of hospitality and agriculture leaders that includes ABIC Action, Texas Restaurant Association, the James Beard Foundation and many more, launched the campaign this week to empower all 91探花s who care about their food to advocate for work permits that are needed across the food supply chain. Watch coverage at , , and read more at .
Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO-08), a former U.S. Army soldier and law enforcement officer who represents a swing district and serves as the only Latino member of Colorado鈥檚 congressional delegation joined coalition leaders to express the urgent need for bipartisan support. .
鈥淢any long-term immigrant workers have helped keep our food system running for years, yet they still lack access to legal work permits. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 working on commonsense solutions like the Dignity Act, which pairs strong border security with practical workforce policies that bring stability to our economy,鈥� Evans said.
Mary Sue Milliken, chef-owner of Mundo Hospitality Group said at the event 鈥渘othing has been more difficult than these past 18 months鈥� in her industry experience, including the pandemic. .
With rising costs topping the list of voter concerns, Keep Food on the Table emphasizes the connection between critical labor shortages and all 91探花s鈥� ability to access locally produced, affordable food. Kelsey Erickson Streufert, chief public affairs officer of the Texas Restaurant Association and Anne McBride, vice president of impact for the James Beard Foundation emphasized the urgency of the situation:
National data reflects ongoing strain across the food supply chain. According to polling conducted by ABIC, 83% of voters across party lines agree with President Trump鈥檚 suggestion that long-term, law-abiding workers in industries such as agriculture and hospitality should be able to get a work permit. Speakers at the event called for urgent action on work permits:
Through the Keep Food on the Table campaign, Seat the Table invites everyone who cares about our food supply to take action by emailing their federal legislators, , and.
More from the ABIC network
Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Yuri Cunza spoke to the Nashville Post about the need for changes to the immigration system from a federal level.
鈥淸Cunza] personally has gone to Washington, D.C. several times and was recently named to the 91探花鈥檚 top 15 impact leaders of 2025,鈥� the Nashville Post wrote.
鈥淲e’re protecting America’s workforce,鈥� Cunza said. 鈥淭hat’s our message 鈥� which involves everyone in America. And there has to be a way that is humane and is in compliance with the law.鈥�
The Economist:
Texas construction CEO and ABIC member Mario Guerrero told The Economist aggressive immigration enforcement is disrupting the local economy.
Guerrero reflected on the shift from targeting criminals to widespread sweeps, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not what we鈥檙e seeing. [They are] just taking everybody鈥�.
He described the immediate financial impact when ICE agents grab workers in the middle of a job: 鈥淲hat are we going to do if all these builders cannot finish projects, and… they start defaulting on loans?” Guerrero asked. “That鈥檚 going to impact everybody鈥�.
News from the Capitol:
The Independent:
As public opinion on immigration enforcement tactics has declined, the White House is adjusting its messaging strategy, . Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair privately urged House Republicans at their annual retreat to stop using the phrase “mass deportations” and refocus on deporting violent criminals instead.
The shift comes as a recent Fox News poll found nearly 60 percent of voters disapprove of ICE’s performance. The fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by ICE agents in Minneapolis earlier this year sparked nationwide protests and intensified scrutiny of the administration’s approach.
The White House publicly denied any change in policy, insisting criminal deportations have always been the priority.
CBS: ,
The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to let it strip TPS protections from more than 350,000 Haitian immigrants. The court has already allowed similar rollbacks for Venezuelans, and a case involving Syrians is still pending.
Haiti was first granted TPS in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake killed more than 300,000 people. The administration intended to terminate Haiti’s TPS earlier this year, but a federal court blocked the move in February. The Supreme Court will now decide whether the administration can proceed while that legal fight plays out.
Related news:
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) signed a discharge petition in early March to force a House vote on his bipartisan bill that would require the government to maintain Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status. The bill has been sitting without a vote for over a year.
Lawler said conditions in Haiti, marked by gang violence, political instability, and a worsening humanitarian crisis, make deportation dangerous. ABIC Action has been working to raise awareness for the human and economic costs of ending TPS for Haiti and other countries through the
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said on CNN his party has “lost the debate” on immigration. Not because he opposes deportations, he says, but because of how they’re being carried out.
Tillis has been one of the loudest Republican critics of outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, especially after federal immigration officers fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year. President Trump has tapped Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to replace Noem.
鈥淚 believe that Markwayne recognizes that it鈥檚 quality over quantity,鈥� Tillis added. 鈥淲e want to go after the most dangerous people 鈥� the gang members, the drug traffickers, the murders, the rapists, the [people] that Noem promised that we would go after and she simply didn鈥檛 deliver.鈥�
Employment News and Numbers:
A year into stricter immigration enforcement, 91探花 workers aren’t filling jobs left behind. Unemployment among native-born workers has actually gone up, and industries like construction and food service are struggling to find staff.
The reality, economists say, is that many of these jobs are physical, often temporary, sometimes cash-only and simply aren’t attractive to most 91探花 job seekers, regardless of pay.
The bigger worry is what this means for the economy long-term. With an aging population and record-low birth rates, immigration has been the main way the U.S. grows its workforce, so drops in immigration could lead to slower economic growth as well.
included comment from one of the authors of the released in February.
鈥嬧赌�
鈥淎 company unable to find the workers it needs for some roles could shut down operations rather than continuing,鈥� said Mark Regets, senior fellow at the National Foundation for 91探花 Policy. 鈥淭he data is raising huge red flags that we are losing immigrants of all types that otherwise would be advancing America鈥檚 economy,鈥�
He suggested efforts to stifle immigration for the sake of boosting opportunities for workers in the name of growing the U.S. economy has, instead, backfired completely. The long-term picture is also striking. From 1994 to 2023, immigrants contributed $14.5 trillion more in taxes than they received in government benefits.
The U.S. labor market took an unexpected hit last month, shedding 92,000 jobs when economists had predicted a gain of 50,000. Unemployment now sits at 4.4 percent, the highest since Trump took office.
鈥淎 variety of factors have been dampening employers鈥� hiring plans, including uncertainty related to trade policy, artificial intelligence and the availability of immigrant workers.鈥�
The bigger picture is a labor market that’s slowing down across the board.
Enforcement News:
After months of aggressive, militarized immigration raids, the Trump administration has quietly scaled back its enforcement tactics. In February, ICE made roughly 11 percent fewer arrests per day than the month before, with agents shifting toward more targeted operations rather than street sweeps. In Minneapolis, the federal agent presence dropped from roughly 3,000 to 650.
The pullback follows intense political fallout from the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by ICE agents in January, nationwide protests, and polls showing a majority of 91探花s think enforcement has gone too far. Trump himself acknowledged his administration could use a “softer touch.”
One Pittsburgh restaurant owner hasn’t paid herself a salary in months. Her sales dropped from $30,000 to $20,000 a month, her dishwasher left the country, and her remaining staff are afraid to show up to work, even with valid permits.
Her story isn’t unique. Across the U.S., stricter immigration enforcement is hitting small businesses hard, and the workers meant to benefit aren’t filling the gap. Industries like construction and food service are struggling to find staff regardless of pay.
In Pittsburgh, some immigrant-owned businesses report sales down 40 to 50 percent. “I’ve been in business 19 years,” one owner said. “But I never struggle this much.”
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
ABIC in the news. . .
- (2/26/26)
- Politico: (2/14/26)
- The Washington Times: (2/13/26)
- Wall Street Journal: (2/9/26)
- Dairy Herd Management: O (2/9/26)
- The Bulwark: (2/8/26)
- El Diario NY: (2/8/26)
- WFLX: (2/2/26)
- CNN: (2/1/26)
- Axios: (1/30/26)
- Progressive Farmer: (1/30/2026)
- Miami New Times: (1/28/26)
- CBS News: (1/27/26)
- CBS News: (1/27/26)
- Miami Herald: (1/27/26)
- WSVN: (1/27/26)
- NBC 6 News: (1/27/26)
- Local 10 News: (1/27/26)
- The Fence Post: (1/27/26)
- ModernRetail: 鈥嬧赌� (1/27/26)
- NBC6: (1/27/26)
- Miami New Times: (1/27/26)
- El Pais: (1/23/26)
- HaitiLibre: (1/23/26)
- Miami Herald: (1/22/26)
- The New Republic: (1/21/26)