As the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement targeting the clothing and textile industries in LA’s downtown Jobber Market, the ripple effects are spreading to restaurants, markets, car washes, construction, and other sectors, fueling growing unease among workers and employers.

Mainstream media reports indicate that the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns are already impacting restaurants across the U.S. With heightened enforcement targeting food service workers, restaurants are bracing for labor shortages.
On June 9, outlets like The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing National Restaurant Association (NRA) data, reported that over 20% of U.S. restaurant workers are immigrants. While most are legally authorized to work, an estimated one million are undocumented.

The restaurant industry was, in fact, the administration’s first target, not apparel. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents can raid public venues like restaurants without special permits, making enforcement easier than in other sectors. In May, ICE conducted raids on about 100 restaurants in Washington. Earlier this month, agents stormed a well-known San Diego restaurant, arresting several employees.
Tony Foreman, who operates five restaurants in Maryland, told media, “In recent raids, armed officers have come in. Some employees are too scared to show up for work.”
The Korean restaurant industry is equally anxious about the crackdowns. Most Korean restaurants employ immigrants as dishwashers or cleaners, some of whom are undocumented.

One Korean restaurant owner said, “Honestly, undocumented workers are popular among Korean employers because they take on tough jobs like dishwashing and work diligently. But hiring them now feels risky, and not hiring them means facing labor shortages—a tough dilemma.”
According to Korean business circles, markets, moving companies, car washes, and other businesses employing many Central and South American workers are also grappling with anxiety among employers and staff over potential raids. Korean manufacturing businesses producing various goods and components similarly rely heavily on immigrant labor.
A car wash owner reported, “Two undocumented workers suddenly quit. With summer demand for car washes rising, finding replacements is no easy task.”

Ernesto Castañeda, director of the Immigration Lab at American University, noted, “Documented or not, people prefer industries with less scrutiny. Employers in sectors like restaurants, with many immigrant workers, are finding it harder to hire.”
The WSJ reported, “As the legal status of thousands of workers is revoked and fear spreads among immigrants, longstanding labor shortages have worsened.”
Jaycob Monti, an immigration attorney advising chain restaurants, said, “Employers have already lost too many workers. Maintaining current staffing levels will make for a very busy summer.”

According to the Financial Times (FT), Irena Stein, who runs Alma Cocina Latina, a Venezuelan restaurant in Baltimore, has hired 10 chefs on O-1 visas. She expressed concern, saying, “I worry the administration will block all legal pathways for people entering the U.S. You can’t run a Venezuelan restaurant without Venezuelans. If I can’t hire immigrants, I’ll have to close.”

By Hwandong Cho, Reporter