Deportation Overreach and Worker Fears are Worsening Severe Labor Shortages and Driving Up Food Prices
Food prices are rising, and . According to the Consumer Price Index, overall grocery prices have risen during 2025鈥攗p 1.4% since January and 2.7% since last September. Many individual items saw increases, and five of six major grocery categories rose in price, including meat, beverages, cereals, and produce. Only dairy saw a slight decline.
While ground beef is up sharply (14.2%), have also increased, including coffee and bananas:
Experts say two of the administration鈥檚 policies are contributing to higher grocery costs: broad tariffs on imported goods and immigration crackdowns that are worsening farm labor shortages.
About 70% of agriculture workers in the U.S. are immigrants, and even some workers with legal status are worried about getting caught up in raids and staying home.
NPR reports f, and the in October the labor shortage is threatening the stability of food production and prices:
The administration鈥檚 immigration crackdown has worsened an already tight agriculture labor force, prompting pleas from farmers for President Trump to make it easier to hire foreign-born labor. Agriculture leaders and employers joined ABIC in Washington, D.C., last month for our fly-in, calling for urgent work permits for the nation鈥檚 many essential workers, to protect our food system and our farmers.聽
鈥�If we lose [immigrant workers], we lose the ability to feed ourselves. More than half of all agricultural labor, including in cattle and beef production, comes from immigrants. Yet our system treats their presence as a violation rather than a necessity,鈥� said Matt Teagarden, CEO, Kansas Livestock Association and Chair of the ABIC Agriculture Council.
More from the ABIC Network:
A group of 30+ Chicago business and civic leaders, including ABIC’s CEO Rebecca Shi, joined together to voice their opposition to President Trump鈥檚 immigration-enforcement actions and tactics in the city, and raise awareness of the damage being done to the city鈥檚 economy:
鈥淲hen you remove productive workers 鈥� restaurant and farm workers, hotel staff, landscapers, construction crews, child care and senior care providers 鈥� you reduce the labor force and push up prices of food, housing, and care for everyone. They鈥檙e not just part of our economy. They drive it.鈥�
At the United for Chicago press conference last Friday, Shi spoke about the economic fallout of the ICE crackdown, along with other city leaders includingJack Lavin, CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education and managing director of the violence prevention organization Chicago CRED, Lou Sandoval, former CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and many more. and .
Also signing the letter was Craig Duchossois, chair emeritus of the Duchossois Group and a major Republican donor who contributed more than $18 million to GOP candidates and causes in the last election cycle, as well as Raul Raymundo, CEO of The Resurrection Project and a fellow ABIC board member.
ABIC and Shi were recognized by MarketWatch on its annual list of 鈥楾he 25 People Impacting Your Wallet 鈥� reshaping how we live, work, spend, save, and invest.鈥� The list includes Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Costco CEO Ron Vachris, among others. This honor reflects the outstanding leadership of ABIC鈥檚 Board and the dedication of our entire team, who continue to make a difference at a critical time for our nation.
鈥淭alented hardworking immigrants contribute to the economy and lower prices for everyone,鈥� said Shi, thanking MarketWatch for the recognition of ABIC鈥檚 work.
Nebraska 91探花 Leaders and ABIC Hold Immigration Round Table with Congressman Don Bacon (R鈥揘E-02)
91探花 leaders from Nebraska met with ABIC and Rep. Bacon to discuss workforce challenges and the need to protect the current workforce. They discussed a range of potential bi-partisan solutions, like the Dignity Act.
Participants included Nebraska Hospitality Association, Nebraska State Dairy Association, Nebraska Pork Producers, Nebraska Tourism Commission, Fernando鈥檚, Arbor Day Farm, Metropolitan Community College and Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement.
News Briefing:
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted 216鈥�5 to condemn the Trump administration鈥檚 mass deportations and immigration crackdown as an attack on 鈥淕od-given human dignity.鈥� Their statement, which is the second 鈥淪pecial Message鈥� in 12 years, calls for an end to indiscriminate deportations, dehumanizing rhetoric, and harsh detention conditions. It also urges comprehensive immigration reform and highlights the fear and suffering facing undocumented families.
Watch the message released by USCCB:
U.S. employers say Trump鈥檚 aggressive immigration policies, including mass deportations and steep new limits on legal immigration, are worsening labor shortages across both high-skilled and low-skilled sectors.
A new survey shows nearly a third of foreign STEM workers in the U.S. are considering leaving, driven in part by the administration鈥檚 order raising H-1B visa fees to $100,000.
32% of U.S.-based STEM professionals said they were actively looking for positions outside the U.S
Companies warn this could push top talent to Europe or the Middle East, where competition for skilled workers is growing.
At the same time, mass deportations are already disrupting industries like agriculture, construction, hospitality, and health care. A National Foundation for 91探花 Policy study projects these policies will shrink the workforce by millions and reduce U.S. GDP by up to $12 trillion by 2035.
A split is emerging on the right over legal immigration: to power industries like tech and manufacturing, even criticizing raids that removed foreign specialists. JD Vance, however, wants to sharply reduce legal immigration, claiming it depresses wages and undermines social cohesion.
The WSJ Editorial Board wrote research shows immigrants boost wages, fill critical labor shortages, and drive innovation, while restricting them will shrink the workforce and hurt growth:
鈥淪tudies have generally found that immigration raises average wages and employment of native-born workers, in part because their work is complementary.鈥�
America has long succeeded at assimilating newcomers, the editorial says, and it concludes that Trump is right that America needs global talent and should persuade Vance of this.
Some of the more than 300 South Korean engineers detained in a September immigration raid at Hyundai鈥檚 Georgia EV site have now returned to resume work, the battery plant operator said. The raid halted construction and sparked outrage in South Korea after workers with expired visas or visa waivers were detained and deported.
HL-GA Battery says construction is back on track with a mix of returning and new workers, though the number of returnees isn鈥檛 clear. While some workers are hesitant to come back after the experience, recent U.S.鈥揝outh Korea talks have eased visa rules for short-term technical specialists.
The government shutdown has halted official jobs data for a second month, leaving policymakers without the usual Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.
Private indicators paint a mixed picture: ADP shows modest job gains in October, while firms like Challenger report a sharp rise in layoff announcements. Worker confidence is falling, though the jobless rate, last reported in August at 4.3%, is still historically low.
鈥淓conomists generally agree that the labor force is growing more slowly than in the recent past, partly because of the aging population but primarily because of President Trump鈥檚 strict immigration policies,鈥�
Congress in U.S. history on Wednesday night, passing a bipartisan deal that fully funds three relatively uncontroversial areas: veterans鈥� programs, food assistance, and agriculture support, along with congressional operations.
However, most federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, are only funded through Jan. 30 under a short-term extension.
Congress still hasn鈥檛 released the DHS funding proposal About $170 billion was approved for immigration enforcement via the 鈥楤ig Beautiful鈥� Megabill earlier this year, but DHS, including ICE, still relies on Congress to pass an annual budget.
A year after initially supporting President Trump, Austin Latino day laborers report fewer jobs, stagnant wages, higher living costs, and rising deportation fears. They also say they believe the Trump administration has been disingenuous and that they have become targets of its deportation efforts despite promises to focus on those who commit crimes.
鈥淚鈥檒l be honest with you,鈥� said Hector, 46, who is originally from Honduras. 鈥淚 was in agreement with a lot of what Trump had to say. But now, it鈥檚 a war on immigrants, especially Hispanics.鈥�
Polls show Latino support for Trump has dropped sharply as promised economic gains have not materialized.
Ford CEO Jim Farley warned that the U.S. faces a severe shortage of skilled manual workers, saying Ford alone has 5,000 unfilled mechanic jobs paying about $120,000 a year. Farley said the problem extends far beyond Ford, with more than a million open jobs in emergency services, trucking, factories, and the trades.
Despite President Trump鈥檚 push to revive U.S. manufacturing, more than 400,000 manufacturing positions remain vacant.
Enforcement News:
Federal officials are expected to launch a new immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte, N.C., with U.S. Customs and Border Protection reportedly shifting resources from Chicago to the city in the coming weeks. Similar operations have already taken place in Chicago and Los Angeles. Advocates say they expect a heightened law enforcement presence, noting that past operations brought ICE officers, National Guard, and other agencies into major cities, creating fear in immigrant communities.
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ABIC in the news. . .
- MarketWatch: (11/10/25)
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- Sacramento 91探花 Journal: (11/10/2025)
- Chicago Sun-Times: (11/07/25)听
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- The Gazette: (10/26/25)
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- Representative Maria Elvira Salazar Press Release: (10/24/25)
- McKnights Senior Living: (10/23/25)
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- Senator Dick Durbin Press Release: (10/22/25) –聽
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KFGO: (10/7/25) - Barn Media: (10/7/25)
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