On June 14, 2025: President Trump directed ICE, via internal guidance, to pause workplace raids at farms, restaurants, hotels, and meatpacking plants—citing concerns about disrupting essential industries reliant on immigrant labor.

On June 16, 2025: DHS and ICE leadership reversed that pause. Field offices were ordered to resume full-scale enforcement, including those sectors previously exempted, to meet deportation targets (3,000 arrests daily).

Reversal & Reaction

The pause followed lobbying from agriculture and hospitality industries and Trump’s social media promise to protect “long‑time workers” (farmpolicynews.illinois.edu), but within two days, the administration rescinded it amid internal pressure from enforcement hardliners like Stephen Miller.

ICE officials confirmed the initial pause was “temporary” and reversible at any moment. The quick whipsaw left field agents—and affected industries—uncertain.

⚠️ Impact on Stability & Trust

This policy U‑turn sows instability: businesses ramped down fear-driven absenteeism only to have raids resurface days later. Workers returned to uncertainty, affecting labor supply and community trust.
Whiplash messaging undermines faith in the legal system’s consistency, eroding trust not only in immigration enforcement but in governance itself.
Critics note that reversing protections so abruptly suggests enforcement is driven more by political calculation than by any legal or economic logic, further weakening public confidence (time.com, washingtonpost.com).

In short, on June 14 Trump ordered a pause on ICE workplace raids to alleviate economic strain—only for it to be reversed by June 16, resuming aggressive enforcement. That erratic policy swing showcases how even short-lived executive directives can create ripple effects of fear, skepticism, and distrust in government institutions.

This erratic policy seesaw is bad for the legal system and bad for our US economic system.

Like it or not, parts of the US economy depend on undocumented and other low-wage immigrant workers. The system has evolved to assume they would always be here, especially in areas such as agriculture, hospitality and construction. You can’t strip them of their status, deport them or scare them into the shadows without unleashing a wave of complications. It’s no wonder that President Donald Trump’s xenophobic immigration policy is suddenly dotted with holes and internal contradictions.

You can’t declare a pause on deportations because of complaints by farmers and the leisure industry due to the mass detentions of illegals and promise changes, and then take it all back.

When immigration enforcement ramps up unpredictably, when police are implemented and then reversed in days, it can increase that vulnerability, especially in industries where oversight is already limited. People are starting to lose hope and faith in our legal system. The biggest reason for what makes America great again the stability and fairness of our legal system, of our Constitution, of the fairness of the courts, free from corruption and nepotism. When that becomes like a seesaw, people stop having faith in the system, they no longer believe that America can help them hide and be safe from abuse suffered in the home country.

The president himself posted on social media that changes are coming with farms, hotel and restaurant industries. The changes came – a directive went out to ICE to pause raids on the farms, and in hotels and restaurants. Only 3 days later, this directive was withdrawn. The daily arrest goals of 3000 immigrants per day are more important than stabilizing the agricultural, hospitality, and food industries. This Administration’s priorities are painfully obvious. Not the US citizens who elected him and the stability of the industries, but creating a police state where showing strength is more important than the people who elected this government.

When an administration enacts a policy only to later reverse course, it undermines public confidence in the consistency and reliability of our legal system. This erosion of trust weakens the very foundation of governance, as people begin to question the legitimacy and stability of the laws and institutions meant to uphold justice. This Administration must do better!

If you’re an undocumented immigrant feeling the pressure of these sudden policy changes, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to face it without help. Shepelsky Law Group is here to protect your rights, guide you through your legal options, and fight for your stability in the U.S. Call us today for a confidential consultation and let our experienced immigration attorneys help you navigate this chaotic enforcement landscape with clarity and strength. CALL US TODAY AT 718-769-6352 to schedule your consultation and start legalizing in the U.S.!