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The Trump administration will resume immigration raids at U.S. worksites, including farms, hotels, restaurants, and meatpacking plants, with a renewed focus on prioritizing the arrest of criminals, White House “border czar” Tom Homan said Thursday.
Speaking to reporters, Homan clarified that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would continue its controversial worksite enforcement efforts after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this week reversed guidance that had temporarily paused these operations.
“The message is clear now that we’re going to continue doing worksite enforcement operations, even on farms and hotels, but based on a prioritized basis. Criminals come first,” Homan said.
The renewed focus comes amid an aggressive immigration crackdown in sanctuary cities like Los Angeles, where protests have broken out over increased ICE raids and the deployment of National Guard troops by President Donald Trump.
DHS Reverses Internal Memo
An internal memo obtained by NBC News last week showed that DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) had paused enforcement actions at certain agriculture-linked worksites. These included meatpacking facilities, fisheries, restaurants, and hotels, following a period of policy reevaluation.
However, that memo was overridden Tuesday. DHS spokesperson Tricia Mclaughlin said there would be “no safe spaces” for industries that harbor violent offenders or obstruct ICE’s mission.
“There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts,” Mclaughlin said.
Asked about last week’s pause, Homan avoided directly answering why agents were initially told to stand down. Instead, he emphasized the broader mission:
“Worksite enforcement operations is an important part of the work we do,” he told reporters.
Focus on Criminal Networks
On Fox Business Thursday, Homan explained that many raids are based on criminal intelligence, including forced labor, trafficking, tax fraud, and money laundering.
“A lot of worksite enforcement operations are based on criminal information,” he said. “This isn’t just about immigration violations — it’s about dismantling illegal networks that exploit workers and defraud the system.”
Sanctuary cities like Los Angeles, he argued, present a challenge for law enforcement.
“They knowingly release public safety threats — illegal aliens — into the community every day,” he said.
National Guard and JD Vance Involvement
The administration’s stepped-up immigration activity has drawn backlash in cities like Los Angeles, where ICE operations have been met with demonstrations and civil disobedience. President Trump responded by deploying National Guard units and even federalized some California troops, triggering outcry from Democratic leaders.
A source familiar with federal planning told NBC News that Vice President JD Vance may visit Los Angeles this week to observe immigration operations. Travel plans are fluid, however, due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
The deployment of military personnel and the possibility of Vance’s visit underscore how immigration enforcement remains a flashpoint issue in Trump’s second term, balancing his base’s demands for border control with mounting legal and humanitarian concerns.
As the administration reasserts its hardline stance on worksite enforcement, immigrant communities, employers, and civil rights groups brace for the next phase of one of Trump’s most controversial policy fronts.
