President Donald Trump hinted at measures aimed at some migrant workers on Thursday, claiming he is being told the hotel and farm industries are being hit hard by his administration's enforcement operations.
In a publication on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said "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."
"In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs. This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!" he added.
The administration's tactics were illustrated by a recent scene captured in California, in which two agents could be seen chasing a man through a farm before taking him down. ABC News detailed that the incident took place at an Oxnadrd farm in Ventura County, with a worker describing how the scene unfolded.
In an early morning raid, ICE agents are seen chasing farmworkers through an Oxnard field. The raids coming as the federal gov't ramps up immigration enforcement in SoCal. Continuing coverage of the ICE raids, protests and unrest - Tonight at 11 from ABC7. https://t.co/bSJpCk8byb pic.twitter.com/oQQismAu2j
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 11, 2025
"We saw a car when we were on the side, the car was coming and ICE was following the car," said the worker, who asked to remain anonymous. "What I fear is that sometimes out of necessity, it forces us to show up wherever there's work," the worker added.
Oxnard Mayor Luis McArthur said his office also "received reports of ICE agents attempting to enter agricultural fields in our city and also stopping vehicles." "These actions are completely unjustified and harmful. They create chaos and distress in our community without contributing much to public safety," he added.
Some Republicans have also been voicing concern about the extent of operations. In California, Rep. David Valadao said on Tuesday he remains "concerned about ongoing ICE operations throughout CA and will continue" conversations "with the administration —urging them to prioritize the removal of known criminals over the hardworking people who have lived peacefully in the Valley for years."
Valadao is among the most vulnerable Republicans in the Lower House, not only due to potential backlash from those opposed to the raids. He also supported a recent bill aimed to address critical labor shortages in the U.S. agricultural sector through a combination of legalization for undocumented farmworkers and reforms to the H-2A guestworker visa program.
The bill, led by Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), comes amid warnings from growers that labor shortages could lead to rising food prices, disrupted supply chains, and long-term harm to domestic agriculture.
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