CA Republicans Urge Trump To Ease Up ICE Raids, Focus On Criminals, Not Workers

After weeks of aggressive nationwide immigration raids, a coalition of California Republican lawmakers urged President Donald Trump to limit the operations to violent offenders, according to a letter signed by six lawmakers.

The letter, sent June 27, said that indiscriminate raids are promoting widespread fear and driving workers out of crucial sectors.

"Unfortunately, the recent ICE workplace raids on farms, at construction sites, and in restaurants and hotels, have led to unintended consequences that are harming the communities we represent and the businesses that employ our constituents," the six lawmakers wrote. "We have heard from employers in our districts that recent ICE raids are not only targeting undocumented workers, but also creating widespread fear among other employees, including those with legal immigration status."

“We urge you to direct ICE and DHS to focus their enforcement operations on criminal immigrants, and when possible to avoid the kinds of sweeping raids that instill fear and disrupt the workplace,” they said.

State Sen. Suzette Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) led the effort, which also calls on the administration to set forth a clear path for undocumented immigrants to gain citizenship.

"America needs a system that reflects both compassion and lawfulness — one that upholds sovereignty while recognizing the reality on the ground," the lawmakers wrote.

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, responded to the letter by pointing to comments made by the president that suggested he may give a temporary pass to hospitality and farmworkers.

“President Trump remains committed to carrying out the largest mass deportation operation in history by removing dangerous, violent criminal illegal aliens from American communities and targeting the sanctuary cities that provide safe harbor to criminal illegals,” Jackson told the Los Angeles Times.

Despite a call to reevaluate the way ICE raids are being carried out, Valladares and her colleagues made it clear that they ultimately blame Democrats for the issue at hand.

"Under the previous administration, over ten million illegal immigrants entered the United States — a reality that harms our communities, overwhelms government services, and hurts businesses and working Americans alike.

"The Latino community in particular has borne the brunt of many of the state’s far-left policies that, instead of serving them, only protect criminals and eliminate opportunity," they wrote.

Sen. Alex Padilla gave unexpected praise to the Republican effort in a post on X.

"California has the largest economy in the nation, and the 4th largest economy in the WORLD. Not despite our immigrant population, but because of it," he wrote. "Glad to see Republicans in the state legislature understand the gravity of the situation in California, and be bold enough to stand up to Donald Trump."

However, the post wasn't well received by Valladares.

"That’s not what the letter says. Please read it, Senator. Bad policies like CA sanctuary laws and Biden’s open border chaos have harmed our communities," she wrote in a retweet. "I applaud the President for suing to stop LA's sanctuary city rules. I hope Senator Padilla will support ending these sanctuary laws too.

That’s not what the letter says. Please read it, Senator. Bad policies like CA sanctuary laws and Biden’s open border chaos have harmed our communities.

I applaud the President for suing to stop LA's sanctuary city rules. I hope Senator Padilla will support ending these… https://t.co/cKiTN5yiWf
— Senator Suzette Valladares (@SenValladares) July 2, 2025

The news comes as farm owners across California have reported empty fields while hospitality businesses face labor shortages.
“In the fields, I would say 70% of the workers are gone,” Lisa Tate, a sixth-generation farmer in Ventura County, told Reuters. “If 70% of your workforce doesn’t show up, 70% of your crop doesn’t get picked and can go bad in one day. Most Americans don’t want to do this work. Most farmers here are barely breaking even. I fear this has created a tipping point where many will go bust.”

A steep and sudden reduction in California's number of agricultural workers could devastate the food supply chain and trigger price hikes for consumers.

An estimated 80 percent of farmworkers in the U.S. are foreign-born. And nearly half of them are in the U.S. undocumented, according to Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a Republican and former director of the Congressional Budget Office.

“This is bad for supply chains, bad for the agricultural industry,” he told Reuters.