AP: "Limits to Mass Deportations When Industries Are Threatened"
The Donald Trump administration is reported to have ordered a halt to crackdowns on undocumented immigrants working in farms, restaurants, hotels, and similar establishments.
On the 15th (local time), the Associated Press (AP) reported that "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has partially eased the crackdown on undocumented immigrants, which had been intensified in recent weeks." Previously, Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff and architect of the Trump administration's immigration policy, stated that ICE was aiming to arrest at least 3,000 undocumented immigrants per day. This figure represents a significant increase compared to the daily average of approximately 650 arrests during the first five months of Trump's second term.
According to the New York Times (NYT), Tatum King, head of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), instructed regional field office directors on the 12th to suspend investigations targeting farms, restaurants, and hotels. A U.S. government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the contents of this directive to the AP.
The Department of Homeland Security did not dispute this information. However, Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, stated, "In accordance with the President's directive, we will continue to deport the worst criminal undocumented immigrants from America's streets."
The AP pointed out, "This measure suggests that even the large-scale deportations promised by President Trump have limits when industries dependent on undocumented immigrant labor are threatened."
President Trump himself has also mentioned the easing of crackdowns on undocumented immigrants. On the 12th, he posted on his social networking service, Truth Social, "Our great farmers and hotel and leisure industry workers are losing skilled, long-term employees due to very aggressive immigration policies."
Meanwhile, the Trump administration had been intensifying crackdowns on undocumented immigrants nationwide, with the deployment of the National Guard and Marines to the Los Angeles (LA) area, and increased enforcement at farms and factories across the United States.
In response, agricultural organizations in California raised concerns that crackdowns at packing plants and farms threaten the food supply industry. In fact, in Ventura County, northwest of LA, dozens of workers were arrested, and cases of workers avoiding work out of fear of enforcement have increased. In Omaha, Nebraska, a large-scale raid at a food packing company resulted in the arrest of more than 70 people in a single day, and the plant is now reportedly operating at only about 30% capacity due to labor shortages.
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