As Trump Squeezes the Immigrant Work Force, Employers Seek Relief

In recent weeks, business owners across the nation in industries such as resorts, plant nurseries, fish processing, and racetracks have grown increasingly anxious.

The Trump administration had yet to issue the latest batch of H-2B visas—those designated for seasonal businesses that struggle to find enough domestic workers to meet their staffing needs.

Typically, the Department of Homeland Security releases these visas shortly after demand exceeds the available slots for the second half of the year. This threshold was reached on March 5, yet no official announcement followed. Concerned industry representatives mobilized, urging members of Congress to intervene on their behalf, hosting a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, and formally petitioning the administration to maintain the issuance of these visas.

“If this isn’t resolved by April 1, we’ll all be facing serious delays,” warned Greg Chiecko, president of the Outdoor Amusement Business Association, which advocates for traveling carnival operators. “We’ve been told they’ll go through with it, but they’re taking their time and being very deliberate.”

At last, last Wednesday, a press release confirmed that the visas would indeed be distributed, providing businesses relying on them for summer operations with much-needed certainty.

However, the delay underscored broader concerns about President Trump’s stance on legal immigration—both temporary and permanent—as his administration escalates deportation efforts and moves to terminate the legal status of millions of recent arrivals. These policies are tightening the labor market, affecting industries dependent on immigrant labor, and prompting employers to push for expanded legal pathways for foreign workers.

Last week, the American Business Immigration Coalition—a group representing businesses that employ immigrants—held meetings in Washington to advocate for legislative action. Their key message: Congress can simultaneously curb illegal immigration while facilitating legal entry for foreign workers and providing stability for those already residing in the U.S.

Bob Worsley, chairman of the coalition and owner of a modular housing construction firm in Arizona, has long struggled to find sufficient labor. A Republican, he was elected to the State Senate in 2012 partly to counteract stringent immigration crackdowns in his state.

“This is like trying to hold back a river with a dam—the water will always find a way through,” Worsley explained. “You can secure the border, but unless legal immigration is addressed, the problem will persist.”

President Trump has signaled openness to increasing legal immigration and frequently utilizes short-term employment visas for his resorts, golf clubs, and winery. Nevertheless, beyond the administration’s current emphasis on enforcement, its broader immigration policies remain ambiguous. The White House did not respond to requests for clarification.

A faction of hardline immigration restrictionists, led by Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff, has opposed even temporary work visas, arguing that they fail to protect American workers. Additionally, the Southern Poverty Law Center has criticized these programs for years, raising concerns about potential labor exploitation.

Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation, aligns with this perspective, proposing a gradual phase-out of H-2A and H-2B visas—commonly referred to as guest-worker visas, which allow employment for up to 10 months. Instead, the plan suggests encouraging automation as a replacement for foreign labor.

However, Worsley’s coalition believes there may be an opportunity to expand guest-worker programs and create legal pathways for millions of undocumented immigrants once Trump’s enforcement measures are firmly in place and Congress addresses expiring tax cuts.

Last week, the coalition organized a press conference to highlight the reintroduction of key immigration legislation and present a Republican-backed argument for reform.

One proposal, supported by the United Farm Workers union, seeks to grant legal status to certain undocumented agricultural laborers while introducing more flexible conditions for existing work visa holders.

Representative Dan Newhouse, a Republican and owner of an 850-acre farm in Washington State, emphasized that lawmakers have felt constrained by ongoing border instability. “That excuse is no longer valid,” he asserted. “I genuinely believe this Congress can make real progress.”

Representative María Salazar, a Republican from Miami, has championed an even broader reform initiative—the Dignity Act. This proposal outlines a path to legal residency for undocumented workers, reforms existing visa programs, and strengthens border security. The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus endorsed the bill last fall, and Salazar argues that it presents a balanced solution that should attract majority support.

“This is not just the right thing to do; it’s the Christian thing to do, the Republican thing to do,” she stated. Salazar praised Trump’s enforcement policies and expressed confidence in his willingness to negotiate comprehensive reform. “Trump will be to immigration what Reagan was to Communism,” she proclaimed.

Comprehensive immigration reform has long eluded lawmakers, and the repeated failure of sweeping proposals has led many stakeholders to accept that incremental measures may be necessary.

One potential starting point is a legislative solution for individuals who arrived in the U.S. as children and are currently protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program—a policy that enjoys bipartisan public support. Representative Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, has indicated that immigration reforms, including relief for Dreamers, could follow the ongoing tax negotiations.

Massey Villarreal, a Texas Republican and former advisor on immigration policy under President George W. Bush, has observed these policy battles over the years. As the former chair of the Texas Association of Business, he has seen the U.S. gradually shift away from the pro-immigration stance he supports.

However, in today’s volatile political climate, he believes change could come rapidly. According to Villarreal, one factor that could persuade Trump to back immigration reform is the opportunity to claim credit for a landmark achievement rather than settling for piecemeal adjustments.

“This president prefers making bold moves,” Villarreal said. “Based on how this administration has approached major issues, I think we could see a comprehensive overhaul of immigration policy.”

Meanwhile, the administration is implementing policies that could significantly shrink the available workforce in industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and tourism.

Though deportation rates have remained moderate, the White House has systematically ended temporary legal protections for hundreds of thousands of recent arrivals and is increasing efforts to remove undocumented workers.

“As more individuals lose their work permits, face deportation, or fear leaving their homes, employers will start to feel the pressure,” warned Richard Herman, an immigration attorney in Cleveland.

In recent years, seasonal businesses have relied more heavily on guest-worker visas. The H-2A program for agricultural workers has no numerical cap, and the Department of Labor certified approximately 385,000 positions last year—an increase from 258,000 in 2019. However, the State Department typically issues visas for only about 80 percent of the certified positions. Florida, where E-Verify is mandated to prevent the hiring of undocumented workers, leads the nation in H-2A visa use, particularly for crops like citrus that rely almost entirely on these laborers.

Steve Scaroni, an employer providing H-2A workers to farms in California and Arizona, noted a slight rise in demand from clients. He remains “cautiously optimistic” that Trump’s enforcement measures could drive more business his way. However, he acknowledged that H-2A visas alone cannot replace the estimated 283,000 undocumented agricultural workers currently in the U.S.

“If demand for H-2A workers surges, we’ll hit a ceiling because there won’t be enough available housing,” Scaroni cautioned. “All companies involved in H-2A recruitment are in the same situation—there’s a limit.”

The H-2B program, which serves non-agricultural seasonal industries, does have an annual cap. While the government offers about 130,000 slots (including supplemental allocations), demand consistently outpaces supply, with applications far exceeding availability. In 2024, the Department of Labor certified 243,798 positions for H-2B workers, despite the statutory limit.

Industries reliant on the program are advocating for an increase in the cap, or at the very least, an exemption for returning workers.

Currently, legislative efforts on Capitol Hill are stalling as lawmakers wait for direction from the White House, which has yet to clarify its stance.

“Many say they support us, but they’re waiting for the president to take the lead,” said George Carrillo, CEO of the Hispanic Construction Council. “The moment he signals approval, we have to act swiftly.”