| Top News: President Trump Suggests Legal Pathway for Essential Farm Workers: “I never want to hurt our farmers” |
| President Trump to keep their trusted workers on June 20. 鈥淲e’re looking at doing something where in the case of good, reputable farmers, they can take responsibility for the people that they hire鈥ecause we can’t put the farms out of business, and at the same time, we don’t want to hurt people that aren’t criminals…I never want to hurt our farmers. Our farmers are great people.鈥� – President Trump June 20, 2025 In early June, President Trump after hearing feedback from employers concerned about their workers, but subsequent reports that DHS would resume agriculture and restaurant raids bred confusion among business owners. Worksite enforcement operations will continue, on June 19, but on a prioritized basis. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue to do worksite enforcement operations, even on farms and hotels, but based on a prioritized basis. Criminals come first鈥or those who we have a criminal nexus of trafficking, of forced labor, of tax fraud, or tax evasion.鈥� -Tom Homan, Border Czar |
| ABIC CEO Rebecca Shi was featured on , and to respond to President Trump鈥檚 most recent comments. |
| “This is a food security issue. We need the individuals that are doing the hard work, and like the President has said, have been here, many of them for 20-25, years to get legal status and work permits,鈥� Shi told Bloomberg. |
| 鈥淓mployers, farmers, ranchers, small-business owners are breathing a sigh of relief since the president鈥檚 remarks鈥ver the last several weeks, our farmers, ranchers have been under enormous stress. The ICE raids that are targeting our essential immigrant workers have led to some businesses closing,鈥� Shi told CNN. “We appreciate that President Trump is listening to farmers and recognizes the critical role immigrant workers play in feeding our nation,” said Shi in a statement quoted by.&苍产蝉辫;鈥� |
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News Briefing
Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell said at a House Financial Services hearing the Trump administration鈥檚 deportation policies are one of the reasons U.S. economic growth has slowed.
鈥淭here are two things that affect growth. One is growth in the labor force, more people working, and the other thing is productivity, how much do they produce per hour of work,鈥� Powell said.
鈥淲hen you significantly slow the growth of the labor force, you will slow the growth of the economy.鈥� -Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell
Powell was responding to questions from Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL) about the economic impact of deportations. She noted that ICE arrests have affected key sectors including construction, hospitality and agriculture.
鈥淲e鈥檙e losing thousands and thousands of workers,鈥� Salazar said. 鈥淵ou do agree that if we don鈥檛 have those hands, then we don鈥檛 grow?鈥�
Powell replied, 鈥淚 think that growth will slow and actually is slowing this year, and that鈥檚 one of the reasons.鈥�
| The Senate parliamentarian rejected several provisions in the budget megabill, including language authorizing states to conduct border security and immigration enforcement, which traditionally have been duties of the federal government. The parliamentarian rejected this language, ruling it violates the , which bars provisions that are considered 鈥渆xtraneous鈥� to the federal budget. Both the House and Senate have a to provide assistance on that chamber鈥檚 rules and they also provide information to lawmakers on a strictly nonpartisan and confidential basis. |
An editorial by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board called for business leaders and economic leaders to 鈥渟tep up and urge the president to focus on the most urgent [deportation] cases. That means wanted or convicted criminals and those with pending deportation orders.鈥�
鈥淭he most effective imagery鈥or example, the Nebraska meatpacker that saw half its workforce removed by ICE, and much of the rest afraid to return to work after that. Tell 91探花s that there are illegal workers in the abstract and they support aggressive deportations. Tell them the cost of bacon and ground beef will rise 鈥� and more might have to be imported 鈥� and they鈥檒l think better of focused efforts and compromise.
Emily Williams Knight, CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association and ABIC member, said restaurants make up the largest overall private-sector employers in the state. Right now, restaurants aren’t opening in some areas of Texas because workers are staying home.
Knight said the impact is spreading across the Texas economy because there is reduced traffic in retail areas. “I can tell you across Texas we are feeling it.”
The administration鈥檚 shifting orders on whether to exempt farm workers from immigration sweeps have created chaos in agriculture, where at least 42% of workers are undocumented. Fear is especially high on farms along the southwestern U.S.-Mexico border.
鈥淔rom our industry standpoint, the farm workers that may have document issues, they鈥檝e worked with their growers for 10, 15 years. There is a good relationship there,鈥� said Jed Murray, a director of government relations with the Texas International Produce Association
The flow of migrant workers into the U.S. has effectively halted over the past year. That trend, plus the steadily aging population of existing workers, could create a U.S. labor crunch.
Barclays estimates that potential job growth will continue to fall, slowing potential economic growth to only 1.4-1.6% year-on-year through next year from just over 2% now.
A new study from the right-leaning group Unleash Prosperity urges President Trump and Congress to pass laws expanding legal immigration, arguing it鈥檚 essential for long-term economic growth now that the border is secure. The report recommends increasing the annual immigration quota and expanding visa programs for high-skilled workers (H-1B), seasonal labor (H-2B), and investors (EB-5) to address U.S. demographic shifts and workforce needs.
Industry Spotlight:
More than 800,000 immigrants and naturalized citizens comprise at home care agencies, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other long-term care companies. Nursing homes are now subject to ICE raids, creating fear that could drastically reduce the number of current and future workers for the industry.
“People may be here on a green card, and they are afraid ICE is going to show up,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president of LeadingAge, an association of nonprofits that care for older adults.
“As an employer, we see [foreign-born employees] stay on with us, they have longer tenure, they are more committed to the organization,” –, Goodwin Living President and CEO.
Fights in the Courts
The Supreme Court delivered a significant win to President Trump Friday by limiting the use of nationwide injunctions that had blocked his executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship. In a 6-3 decision, the Court ruled that federal judges generally cannot block policies nationwide unless a case is certified as a class action. This restricts judges to granting relief only to the plaintiffs in a specific case. The Supreme Court did not rule Friday on the underlying constitutionality of Trump鈥檚 executive order.
A divided Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to resume fast-track deportations of migrants to third countries, not their home countries, without giving them a chance to challenge the removals.
The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against all 15 federal judges in Maryland, aiming to overturn an order blocking the immediate deportation of migrants challenging their removals. Legal experts called the move extraordinary.
Enforcement News
https://www.firehouse.com/community-risk/fire-protection-systems/video/55299584/ice-raids-kings-mountain-nc-fire-equipment-factory
Federal immigration officials say 30 people were arrested at Buckeye Fire Equipment in Kings Mountain, N.C. The operation focused on possible identity theft and employment-related crimes.
ICE detained 17 undocumented immigrants during a workplace inspection at an apartment complex in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The group鈥攎ostly Venezuelans鈥攚as restoring the building after a fire, working for a subcontractor.
Immigration sweeps have targeted two dozen car washes in Los Angeles and Orange County this month, according to the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center. Some locations remain open, but others have shut down due to worker detentions or staff staying home out of fear.
Get Involved
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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. . .
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- Axios: (06/23/25)
- CNN This Morning: (06/21/25)
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