DHS Resumes Immigration Raids at Local Workplaces After Brief Pause

The Department of Homeland Security reversed course Monday on immigration enforcement guidance, instructing agents to resume raids at farms, hotels, and restaurants after briefly pausing such operations last week, a decision that could significantly impact workers in Inglewood, Compton, and surrounding communities.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials told agency leaders in an 11 a.m. call that agents must continue conducting immigration raids at agricultural businesses, hotels, and restaurants, according to sources familiar with the directive. The reversal affects 30 field offices across the country, including those operating in Southern California.

The about-face came after the White House expressed opposition to exempting these industries from enforcement actions. Just days earlier, DHS had instructed agents to “hold on all worksite enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels.”

“There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts,” said Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for DHS. “Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability.”

For workers in Inglewood and Compton employed in hospitality, food service, and agricultural sectors, the policy reversal creates renewed uncertainty. Many local residents work in hotels near LAX, restaurants throughout the region, and agricultural operations in nearby counties.

The administration faces pressure to meet ambitious deportation targets, with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller stating officials want ICE to make a minimum of 3,000 arrests daily. Trump border czar Tom Homan told The Washington Post that arrests had increased to around 2,000 per day.

The reversal highlights internal White House divisions, with Miller opposing industry exemptions while Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stressed concerns from farming communities about losing workers. President Trump had suggested Thursday that “changes are coming” to help “protect our Farmers,” though no actual policy changes materialized.

Business and industry groups had heavily lobbied for relief, with Rebecca Shi of the American Business Immigration Coalition saying the brief pause had signaled the president was “open to a solution.” That hope was dashed Sunday night when Trump posted on Truth Social ordering ICE officials to deliver “the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”

Immigration experts note that workplace raids at large employers like meatpacking plants can result in hundreds of arrests at once, making them efficient targets for meeting arrest quotas. The June 12 memo had acknowledged that avoiding these employers would eliminate “a significant # of potential targets.”

For families in Inglewood and Compton, many of whom have mixed immigration status households or work in affected industries, the policy reversal means continued fear and uncertainty about workplace raids that could separate families and disrupt local economies dependent on immigrant labor.

This story draws on reporting by Carol D. Leonnig, Natalie Allison, Marianne LeVine and Lauren Kaori Gurley for The Washington Post.