Texas Restaurant Association Urges White House to Stop Deporting Workers

(TEXAS) The Texas Restaurant Association is making its most direct appeal yet to federal leaders: “Stop deporting our workers.” In a statewide push that gained steam through July and August 2025, the TRA says stepped-up enforcement has thinned kitchen and front-of-house staff, rattled customers, and forced owners to shorten hours or close locations. The group wants the White House and Congress to grant work permits to long‑term immigrant workers and to back bipartisan bills that would stabilize the labor force and calm fear in immigrant communities.

TRA President and CEO Emily Williams Knight says the need is immediate. By the group’s tally, immigrants make up 22% of the Texas restaurant workforce, not including undocumented workers, who are difficult to count. “We can’t serve guests, keep prices steady, or keep doors open if we lose the people who power our industry,” Knight has argued in recent briefings and public statements.

According to the TRA, nearly half of Texas operators report job openings that are hard to fill, and more than a fifth say they don’t have enough employees to meet demand.

The numbers behind the plea

The TRA’s data highlight urgent operational strains:

• 47% of operators can’t fill open roles.
• 21% of restaurants can’t meet demand with current staffing.
• Some businesses have seen customer traffic fall by up to 45% as immigrant families stay home and spend less.

One Houston‑area owner reportedly shut down four food trucks after seeing staff flee and customers drop off in neighborhoods affected by raids. The association says these local shocks translate into higher prices, reduced hours, and more closures, with ripple effects across hotels, farm suppliers, and meatpacking plants.

Federal response so far and TRA policy asks

In August, after pressure from business groups, the Trump administration moved to pause immigration raids focused on restaurants, hotels, and farms. The TRA called the decision “necessary breathing room,” while warning that a pause alone won’t fix chronic worker shortages.

The group wants durable policy changes:

• Federal work authorization for long‑term, law‑abiding immigrants.
• Clearer paths for farm and seasonal workers.
• A fair process that allows people to come forward without fear.

In a July–August letter campaign, over 970 industry leaders and more than 200 businesses urged President Trump and Congress to support the Dignity Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

Coalition building and public support

Business groups are coordinating their efforts:

• The TRA is working with the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) and other trade groups to press for pragmatic solutions that preserve enforcement while protecting the economy.
• Rebecca Shi, ABIC Action CEO, cites polling showing 76% of Americans support work permits for long‑term, law‑abiding immigrants.
• The TRA says it is also collaborating with the National Restaurant Association and 52 sister state associations to unify messaging.

Industry impact and worker fear

Restaurant owners describe a quiet pullback among staff and customers worried about being stopped while commuting or buying groceries. Managers report:

• Line cooks and dishwashers calling in sick more often.
• Workers requesting split shifts to avoid checkpoints.
• Increased payroll costs as employers raise wages, pay overtime, or offer incentives to retain staff.

Operational responses include:

• Cutting opening hours.
• Closing dining rooms two days a week.
• Suspending catering due to inability to staff both in‑house and off‑site events.

The broader economy is affected too:

• Hotels scale back housekeeping and breakfast service.
• Meatpacking schedules tighten and farms delay harvests.
• Customers face fewer options, longer waits, and higher prices.

Employers report that U.S.-born workers aren’t filling these roles at the needed scale. VisaVerge.com notes that past crackdowns did not lead to sustained domestic hiring in labor‑intensive sectors but did raise consumer costs.

“Stop deporting our workers” is framed by owners not as a political slogan but as a warning about a fragile supply chain—from farms to distribution hubs to the family table.

What the TRA and allies want from Washington

The coalition’s asks fit into three main buckets:

1. Immediate protection for core industries
   • The TRA applauded the raid pause and urged clear guidance on its scope and duration.
2. Work authorization for established residents
   • Issue work permits to long‑term, law‑abiding immigrants who live and pay taxes in the U.S. Advocates say this would calm fear, stabilize staffing, and boost consumer spending.
3. Bipartisan legislation
   • Support the Dignity Act (2025) and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to create lawful status pathways tied to work and compliance.

Practical steps for workers and employers

Attorneys point to existing tools for eligible immigrants to secure permission to work. A common route is:

• Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization — filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
  • Readers can review instructions and filing categories on the official USCIS page for Form I‑765: https://www.uscis.gov/i-765.

This option does not help everyone affected by recent enforcement, but it remains a key route for those who qualify through asylum, TPS, certain family or employment categories, or other programs.

Political and legal context

The White House has signaled it is reviewing options. President Trump has suggested executive orders could grant limited work authorization in narrow categories, though details are not yet public.

Business groups want any action to:

• Cover workers with clean records and demonstrable community ties.
• Be workable for employers who already struggle to verify documents and comply with changing rules.

Immigration lawyers stress that executive steps must align with existing statutes.

Why this matters beyond restaurants

Many sectors rely on immigrant labor:

• Texas agriculture depends on seasonal and year‑round immigrant workers to pick, pack, and process food.
• Construction uses immigrant crews for framing, concrete work, and storm repair.
• Hotels need room attendants, laundry staff, and banquet teams.

Without stable staffing, owners warn of longer build times, reduced inventory, and higher prices. The TRA says mass removals would “tear at the spine” of local economies, especially in rural areas where a single processing plant or resort drives most jobs.

Supporters of tougher enforcement counter that border security and workplace checks protect wages and the rule of law, and call for measures like E‑Verify expansion and stricter audits. Business groups argue recent enforcement created sudden shocks without a plan to keep critical services running, and urge Congress to pass laws that provide clear, stable rules for employers.

Legislative outlook

• The Dignity Act, sponsored by Rep. Maria Salazar (R‑FL) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D‑TX), has bipartisan backers but faces a tight calendar and partisan divides.
• The Farm Workforce Modernization Act faces a similar challenge.

Still, with 76% public support for work permits for long‑term, law‑abiding immigrants, advocates believe a narrow package focused on work authorization and border technology could pass. The TRA and partners are pressing for congressional hearings in the coming weeks.

How to get involved and resources

Owners and workers who want to get involved can find contacts and advocacy tools through the TRA. Key resources mentioned include:

• Texas Restaurant Association homepage: https://txrestaurant.org
• National advocacy portal, Restaurants Act: http://www.restaurantsact.com
• American Business Immigration Coalition’s policy resources: https://abic.us
• Industry briefing video of the TRA’s plea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOouIadUpII

Kelsey Erickson Streufert, the TRA’s Chief Public Affairs Officer, is coordinating outreach.

Immediate practical moves that could help

The TRA suggests several near‑term actions to ease pressure:

• Clear communication on the scope and timeline of the current raid pause, so employers can plan.
• Targeted, time‑limited work permits for long‑term, law‑abiding immigrants who pass security checks and have employer sponsorship.
• Fast‑track consideration of narrow, bipartisan bills tied to labor needs in restaurants, farms, and hotels.
• Employer education on existing channels like Form I-765, using plain‑language guidance and multilingual support.

Owners say the stakes go beyond quarterly numbers: when a taqueria closes early, the dishwasher loses hours, the supplier drops a route, and the neighborhood loses a gathering place. When a farm can’t find hands for harvest, produce withers and supermarket prices rise. The TRA argues that pairing border enforcement with work authorization for people already part of local communities is the surest path to steady menus and steady prices.

As fall approaches, the central question for Washington is whether a limited pause and possible executive action will be enough—or whether Congress will enact bills that offer a broader fix to a labor crisis now touching every corner of the hospitality supply chain.