“All I want to do is work and feed my children, but now I’m afraid to leave home. This is how Elena García, a cook in a Houston restaurant, sums up the feeling that is spreading like wildfire among thousands of Hispanic workers in the United States.
During the first four months of 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has intensified its operations in key workplaces for the immigrant community: restaurants, construction sites and janitorial services. Figures released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) show a 38% increase in labor raids compared to the same period in 2024.
ICE main targets
According to a report published by The Washington Post on May 2, more than 60% of ICE raids in 2025 have been concentrated in two sectors: food services and construction.
These industries employ large numbers of immigrant workers, many of them undocumented, making them frequent targets.
According to data from the Migration Policy Institute, more than 1 million undocumented workers are currently employed in these sectors.
ICE has justified this increase as part of a “targeted enforcement” strategy against employers who are alleged to be violating labor and immigration regulations.
Direct impact on Hispanics
The effects are being felt strongly in states such as Texas, California, Florida and Georgia.
Here, the Hispanic community represents a high percentage of the workforce.
Los números reflejan una campaña que criminaliza el trabajo honesto de nuestros padres, hermanos y vecinos
Erika Andiola
In March alone, ICE conducted simultaneous raids on at least 14 restaurants in the Los Angeles area, resulting in 96 arrests.
In New York, several construction crews were intercepted at the beginning of their workday, according to reports by Univision Noticias.
What if ICE comes to your job?
Buzzy
Organizations such as United We Dream and the ACLU have reinforced their information campaigns with materials in Spanish that explain workers’ rights in the face of ICE intervention:
You have the right to remain silent.
Do not sign any document without talking to a lawyer.
Do not open the door without an order signed by a judge.
In addition, they recommend having a family “emergency plan,” including who will pick up children in the event of detention and how to access legal representation.
Community leaders urgently call for neighborhood organization and participation in legal workshops.
“Today more than ever, it is essential to be informed, united and prepared,” insists Juan José Gutiérrez, director of Vamos Unidos USA.
If you work in any of these sectors or know someone who does, please share this information.
Your voice can protect another.
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com.
