The Trump administration directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to pause raids against workers in the agriculture, hotel and restaurant industries, NewsNation confirmed.
“Effective today, please hold on all work site enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels,” Tatum King, a senior ICE official sent in a Thursday message to regional leaders, the New York Times first reported.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed a shift on deportation policies in a statement to NewsNation days after President Trump signaled that “changes are coming” in a post on Truth Social.
“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…,” the president wrote on Thursday.
“This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!” he added.
DHS officials said they would follow the White House’s lead in regards to removals and detainments, per the Times reporting.
“We will follow the president’s direction and continue to work to get the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens off of America’s streets,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.
Authorities have conducted several workplace raids across California in recent days rattling business owners as some employees have been swiftly detained by ICE.
Large scale protests have erupted across the country in response to the raids amid concerns about inhumane conditions and overpopulation at detention facilities in California.
The president dispatched National Guard soldiers and Marines to California as unrest continues in Los Angeles.