2 days ago
CCTV Script 09/06/25
As the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on undocumented immigration, one industry is feeling the pressure more acutely than others: the U.S. restaurant sector. Already struggling with labor shortages, the industry now faces a new wave of surprise inspections, raising concerns that hiring challenges will only worsen.
According to estimates from the National Restaurant Association, more than one-fifth of U.S. restaurant workers were born outside the country. While most of them hold legal work permits, data from the Center for Immigration Studies shows that the industry still employs roughly one million undocumented immigrants. And overall employment in the restaurant sector has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Castaneda, director of the Immigration Lab at American University, points out that due to the industry's heavy reliance on immigrant labor, restaurants often become prime targets for enforcement actions. Immigration officers are allowed to enter the public areas of restaurants without a warrant, making these establishments particularly vulnerable to raids.
Both and have reported that in May, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted surprise visits to over 100 restaurants in Washington, D.C.
As a result, numerous chefs and waitstaff quit, called in sick, or simply stopped showing up to work. Castaneda warns that heightened enforcement makes hiring even more difficult for restaurant owners, as even legally authorized workers may prefer to avoid industries under heavy scrutiny.
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court also ruled in favor of allowing the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelan immigrants.
TPS was granted to one group of Venezuelan nationals in 2023, with another 250,000 having received the status in 2021. That earlier group is set to lose protection in September of this year.
Research by economist Michael Clemens of George Mason University shows that nearly 20% of Venezuelans who received TPS since 2021 are employed in the hospitality and leisure industries.
A Venezuelan restaurant owner in Baltimore told that she fears the U.S. government may soon close off all legal pathways for entry. Without Venezuelan staff, she says, her business simply cannot operate. If immigration hiring is no longer viable, her only option will be to shut down.
Analysts further note that as labor shortages deepen, wages are likely to rise. For restaurants unable to afford higher pay, this creates a serious cost burden. Fewer staff can also mean slower service and smaller menus—ultimately hurting the customer experience.
In May, Fitch Ratings downgraded the U.S. restaurant industry outlook from "neutral" to "deteriorating." The agency cited the dual inflationary pressures of rising tariffs and labor shortages, adding that restaurants are struggling to pass added costs onto a consumer base already highly sensitive to price increases.
