Garment Workers Are at Risk. Fashion Can't Afford to Look Away.

Business of Fashion

17 hours ago

From the very start, the fashion industry has been swept up in the increasingly tense showdown between the Trump administration and immigration activists. The first protests in Los Angeles were triggered by a June 6 raid on workplaces in the city, including a garment warehouse.
The Garment Worker Center, which advocates for the Fashion District's workforce of mostly Spanish-speaking immigrants, has been working in overdrive to support its members in crisis.
'We heard a number of workers saying, 'I'm going to avoid going to work' or 'I'm worried about public transportation,'' said Marissa Nuncio, the organisation's executive director. 'Fear is so widespread because we've seen not only undocumented individuals being picked up but also people with various legal immigration statuses and peaceful protesters being arrested.'
Nuncio spoke to The Business of Fashion Thursday night, in between driving members home from consultations at the Center's legal clinic. The Garment Worker Center is actively raising legal defense funds and can take donations on its website.
'It feels to me after 25 years of community organisation like an unprecedented time,' she said.
As protests erupt across Los Angeles and other cities in response to President Donald Trump's escalating immigration raids, fashion finds itself uncomfortably close to the picket lines.
While the bulk of apparel manufacturing takes place overseas, existing facilities in the US all rely deeply on immigrant labour. In LA alone, there are 45,000 workers who cut, sew and finish apparel products in local facilities, according to the Garment Worker Center.
'Our industry has a rich history that is interwoven with diverse immigrant communities,' American Apparel & Footwear Association president Steve Lamar said in a statement. 'For generations, immigrants from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America have powered our industry in manufacturing, design, and retail.'
That workforce is now threatened with deportation. Trump has ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement to rapidly increase the number of workplace inspections it conducts, a precursor to roundups of undocumented workers such as the ones seen in LA and other cities in recent weeks. He has also deployed the National Guard and US Marines to support these efforts, an unprecedented move that opponents say has inflamed protests.
With more protests planned across the US over the weekend, the industry's stake in the matter means it cannot for much longer hold off on taking a stance.
'It's very important for the world to know that the protests in Los Angeles (and nationwide) have been peaceful protests against the horrific attacks on innocent men, women and children working to support the US economy,' designer Willy Chavarria said in a written statement.
Still, save for a few isolated voices like Chavarria, fashion has largely kept silent. In recent months, designers, industry organisations and corporations have pulled back from championing causes such as diversity, inclusion and LGBTQ visibility, after going all-in on social advocacy (or more cynically in some cases, advocacy-themed marketing) in the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020.
Nuncio said the lack of industry voices comes as no surprise.
'We didn't expect any kind of [institutional] support,' said Nuncio. 'It's on brand for fashion. We never found that the large brands expressed that level of concern for their workforce.'
Silence, in Trump's America, is partially a survival mechanism. The fear of backlash from the president and his loyal base has created a chilling effect across the industry; anti-woke sentiment, right-wing activism and Trump's explicit vow to 'end the tyranny of DEI' have convinced brands and retailers that there is more risk than reward in speaking out.
'Everyone from independent designers to larger brands are trying to tread as cautiously as possible and not upset anything or cause ripples in the water and just try to make it to another season,' said one executive of an American label based in New York. 'It's not just the fear of retribution, it's all the uncertainty in the industry right now, from tariffs to challenges in wholesale.'
Others call into question the efficacy of taking a public stance on matters that can be addressed internally.
'At the end of the day, what does speaking out get us?' said the CEO of a Los Angeles-brand that operates its own manufacturing facility in the city. 'The best thing we can do is recognise what's happening and try to protect the people who are most dramatically affected.'
The brand closed its showroom and warehouse Monday, the CEO said, out of concern for employee safety.
Protestors don't need the 2025 equivalent of black squares on Instagram. As raids continue across the US, American brands, retailers and even fashion schools, where immigrants make up a substantial fraction of the student population, must recognise the growing risks. While speaking out publicly may not be the right move for everyone, staying silent does not mean staying unprepared. Industry leaders have a responsibility to confront this climate of fear, and take meaningful steps behind the scenes to support their employees.
Ultimately, the most meaningful action fashion employers and stakeholders can take against immigration raids is to support their workforce and safeguard their wellbeing, said Nuncio.
First and foremost, there needs to be a plan in case of a workplace raid or audit by ICE, she explained. Businesses can protect job sites as a private space, demanding a judicial warrant from federal authorities and training their employees to exercise their rights to stay silent.
'Businesses should feel a sense of responsibility in how to protect their workforce,' Nuncio said. 'This is a moment where everyone should think about their sphere of influence … and reach out to community organisations and [seek] legal advice.'
Companies can pursue their own internal compliance audits to make sure they have the right documentation on file for their employees, according to Susan Scafidi, director of the Fashion Law Institute.
'Fashion companies can also seek out local immigration law resources, pro bono and otherwise, and share that information with their employees before rather than after a raid or an arrest,' she said. 'Education and preparation may not stop disruptive government action, but they can limit potential harm to both employers and employees.'
And where possible, the industry should speak up.
'Individual companies may have remained silent for fear of retaliation or the belief that their voices won't have an effect, but trade associations and other nonprofits can and should speak up on behalf of the industry and its role in the American economy,' said Scafidi. 'This is an issue on which both sides of the aisle should be able to come together.'
Sheena Butler-Young contributed to the reporting.
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