President Donald Trump signaled a significant policy adjustment on Thursday, announcing via social media that his administration will exempt the agriculture and hospitality sectors from the broader national immigration crackdown. The shift comes after strong pushback from industry leaders who warned of deep labor disruptions if longstanding undocumented workers were swept up in ICE raids.
Trump wrote, “Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace.” He emphasized that while criminals will continue to be deported, hard-working undocumented laborers vital to certain industries may be spared: “Changes are coming!”
The next day, The New York Times confirmed that a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official ordered a pause on enforcement actions at farms, meatpacking plants, hotels, and restaurants. Agents were told to continue targeting undocumented individuals with criminal records but halt arrests of those with clean backgrounds.
Brooke Rollins is at it again. https://t.co/mudgjvlG2r
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) July 7, 2025
While the Department of Homeland Security did not directly confirm the policy shift, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that ICE would continue prioritizing “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”
Trump’s recalibration reflects growing tensions between his 2024 campaign promises — including deporting one million illegal immigrants per year — and the economic realities of labor-intensive industries. ICE has struggled to meet a daily arrest target of 3,000 undocumented individuals, a number pushed by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Former DHS officials noted that such figures are unattainable without raids on large employers — the very sectors Trump is now shielding.
So far, ICE’s enforcement has largely targeted small businesses, but isolated raids — such as the recent operation at an Omaha slaughterhouse resulting in 80 arrests — have stirred anxiety across major industries. In the Southeast, legal counsel for meatpacking companies confirmed that clients are conducting internal audits to avoid federal penalties.
Despite the partial exemption, key sectors remain vulnerable. Construction, for instance, has not been formally excluded, though raids remain rare. Industry leaders say labor shortages, inflationary costs, and reduced project volume are already impacting the economy. Brian Turmail of the Associated General Contractors of America cautioned that without legal entry pathways for foreign labor, labor shortages will worsen. “Even if we got all the funding we wanted, we’d still need lawful pathways for people to come in and work in construction,” he said.
Amnesty advocates say that since we passed the Big Beautiful Bill, we need to “move to the center” on immigration
What they don’t get is that the “center” is mass deportation pic.twitter.com/fuMs5OkSNH
— Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) July 7, 2025
Meanwhile, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced ongoing efforts to reform and expand the H-2A visa program, allowing legal farm labor while sidestepping deportations. Rollins appeared with Trump in Iowa last week, promising a “100% legal workforce very, very soon.” No formal plan has yet been unveiled, but Rollins confirmed coordination with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Stephen Miller.
The USDA estimates that 40% of the U.S. agricultural workforce consists of undocumented laborers. For years, lawmakers have introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would grant legal status to undocumented farmworkers without criminal records, eventually allowing them to apply for permanent residency.
Trump reiterated his position during a June 30 rally in Florida: “They’re not going to have citizenship, but they’ll be working. They’ll be paying taxes.” He added, “We’re going to take care of our farmers, but we’re going to take the criminals out.”
