California Republican lawmakers are urging President Donald Trump to adjust his immigration enforcement strategy, citing labor shortages and growing fear among workers in key industries.
In a letter to Trump, six legislators, led by State Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares, voiced support for deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records but warned that the current approach is harming local economies and communities.
"Recent ICE workplace raids on farms, construction sites, restaurants, and hotels have led to unintended consequences that are harming the communities we represent and the businesses that employ our constituents," the letter states. "Fear is driving vital workers out of critical industries, taking California's affordability crisis and making it even worse for our constituents."
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The letter, also signed by Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, Senators Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, Assemblymembers Laurie Davies, Diane Dixon, and Heath Flora, calls on Trump to direct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to focus on violent offenders, avoid broad workplace raids and reform visa programs:
"We urge you to expand and reform the H-2A and H-2B visa programs to authorize more legal guest workers across the entire economy, and to streamline the process to make it easier for vital industries to get the workers they need. From construction to hospitality to food processing, California's employers are struggling to fill positions. Legal, temporary labor should be easier to access and better tailored to support a strong California economy"
Their plea follows widespread disruption caused by ICE raids across the U.S., and particularly in California. According to a June 19 Bloomberg report, labor shortages are intensifying in sectors like farming and food processing. Shay Myers, CEO of Owyhee Produce in Idaho, is quotes as saying "we will not feed our people in this country without these workers, plain and simple," while Deputy Mayor Doug Halter of Ventura, California, described visible demographic shifts following local raids.
"All the Latinos seemed to have disappeared from one of the Home Depots near me. If you know this area, you'll know that is abnormal."
Despite earlier signals suggesting ICE might avoid targeting farms and food facilities, DHS has reaffirmed its stance that all undocumented workers remain subject to enforcement, as reflected by a statement by DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin to Bloomberg:
"The President has been incredibly clear. There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE's efforts. Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability"
President Trump, however, has taken a different tone as of late, even suggesting over the weekend that his administration is developing a "temporary pass" system that would allow undocumented workers in the agricultural and hospitality industries to continue working legally under employer oversight:
"When we go into a farm and we take away people that have been working there for 15 and 20 years, who were good, who possibly came in incorrectly... you end up destroying a farmer. It's a problem."
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