Fact Check: "The Trump administration directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to halt arrests at farms, hotels, and restaurants on June 14, 2025, due to concerns about the impact of immigration enforcement on key industries."
What We Know
On June 13, 2025, the Trump administration did indeed direct ICE to pause arrests at farms, hotels, and restaurants. This decision was communicated through an internal email from Tatum King, a senior ICE official, to regional leaders, instructing them to halt work site enforcement operations in these sectors. The guidance was a response to concerns that aggressive immigration enforcement was negatively impacting industries reliant on immigrant labor, particularly agriculture and hospitality (New York Times, AP News). President Trump himself acknowledged the adverse effects of his administration's immigration policies on these industries, stating on social media that the aggressive enforcement was making it difficult for farmers and hotel operators to find workers (USA Today).
Analysis
The claim that the Trump administration directed ICE to halt arrests at farms, hotels, and restaurants is accurate. The directive was issued in response to increasing pressure from industries that were feeling the impact of heightened immigration enforcement. The internal email from ICE confirmed that while investigations into serious crimes like human trafficking and drug smuggling could continue, arrests of undocumented individuals who were not known to have committed any crimes were to be paused (New York Times, AP News).
The sources used in this analysis are credible, including major news outlets such as the New York Times, AP News, and USA Today, which have established reputations for accurate reporting. The information was corroborated by multiple officials and internal communications, lending further reliability to the claims made in these reports.
However, it is important to note that while the directive paused arrests in specific sectors, it did not indicate a complete cessation of ICE operations across the board. Other industries and locations continued to see enforcement actions, and the overall strategy of mass deportation remained a central theme of the Trump administration's immigration policy (Reuters, CBS News).
Conclusion
The claim that the Trump administration directed ICE to halt arrests at farms, hotels, and restaurants on June 14, 2025, is True. The directive was a strategic response to the concerns raised by industries affected by aggressive immigration enforcement. However, it is crucial to understand that this pause was not indicative of a broader change in immigration policy but rather a tactical adjustment to mitigate backlash from key sectors of the economy.
Sources
- Trump Shifts Deportation Focus, Pausing Most Raids on Farms, Hotels and ...
- Trump pauses ICE arrests at farms, hotels and other key industries | AP ...
- ICE ordered to pause most raids on farms, hotels and ...
- ICE directed to pause immigration arrests at farms, hotels and ...
- Trump halts ICE raids at farms, restaurants amid backlash, protests