ICE Pauses Raids: What It Means for Hospitality

In a major shift to its immigration enforcement strategy, the Trump administration has instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to pause worksite raids in key labor-dependent industries, including hospitality, agriculture, and food service. Internal guidance confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security directs ICE agents to halt enforcement operations in industries where undocumented immigrant labor is a backbone of day-to-day operations like hotels, restaurants, and agricultural sites.

The policy change comes after growing concern from business leaders and industry advocates that aggressive ICE activity was destabilizing essential sectors and creating labor shortages. Protests and backlash, particularly in cities like Los Angele, highlighted the operational and reputational risk tied to broad enforcement raids. An internal ICE memo, first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by multiple officials, advised agents to suspend non-criminal arrests at these work sites, though investigations tied to human trafficking or drug smuggling are still permitted.

This shift is particularly notable for the hospitality industry, which has long relied on immigrant labor to fill roles in housekeeping, food service, and property maintenance. The change follows direct feedback to the White House from farming and hospitality interests, including members of the administration and Republican lawmakers from rural states, who warned that widespread deportation efforts were beginning to hurt their constituencies.

ICE enforcement operations had intensified significantly in recent months, averaging over 1,300 arrests per day in June—more than double the daily rate during President Trump’s first 100 days in office, according to CBS News. In some recent weeks, that number spiked to over 2,000 daily arrests, driven by internal pressure to meet high-volume targets promoted by senior officials.

As legal counsel to clients in the hospitality industry, I advise treating this enforcement pause as temporary relief, not a policy reversal. Now is the time to review your workforce practices, audit I-9 compliance, and ensure that your employment procedures are in line with federal regulations. While this guidance may reduce immediate risk, enforcement priorities can shift quickly and unpredictably.

Despite the current pause, uncertainty remains. The directive does not apply to other industries, and enforcement activity has continued at factories and other work sites. ICE agents themselves have expressed confusion over how to interpret and apply the guidance without a clear public directive from the White House.

While temporary, this policy adjustment underscores a key reality: the U.S. hospitality industry’s dependence on immigrant labor remains a critical factor in shaping immigration enforcement decisions, even under the most hardline policies.

Sources: CBS News, The New York Times, internal ICE communications

If you have questions about how this change impacts your business or need guidance on employment laws affecting the hospitality industry, feel free to reach out to me at renee@engagelawchicago.com