Restaurants in red state struggle to find employees amid Trump's ICE raids

In Texas, a new coalition of business groups, restaurants, and lawmakers opposes the Trump administration's immigration policies because of its economic strain on restaurants, as reported by The New York Times.

The Texas Restaurant Association reports 50 percent of restaurants were unprofitable last year, up from 38 percent in 2024.

Restaurant owner Regino Rojas of Revolver Taco Lounge in Dallas said current conditions are worse than the COVID pandemic.

The immigration crackdown created a chilling effect among workers, regardless of status in Texas, where nearly 10 percent of the workforce is undocumented compared to 4.5 percent nationally, the American Immigration Council reports.

The coalition, called Seat the Table, is pressing Congress and the White House for work permits for "long-term, law-abiding immigrants" in agriculture and restaurants.

Texas Restaurant Association representative Kelsey Erickson Streufert stated that removing undocumented workers will harm everyone through higher prices. Labor shortages extend to agriculture, with farms struggling to find consistent, reliable workers after 18 years of stable immigrant labor supply.

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