Manufacturers Need to Prepare for Increased Immigration Enforcement

New funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement is just starting to flow to the agency, so expect more site visits and raids and be prepared, recommends Littler attorney Jorge Lopez.

Laura Putre

Sept. 18, 2025

The government’s crackdown on immigration labor isn’t just a concern for the hospitality and agriculture industries. Manufacturing plants have been targeted by ICE as well. If manufacturers haven't started getting ready for possibly Immigration Customs Enforcements visits yet, they need to prepare.

“Those $30 billion in enforcement [dollars] are going to be spent. Among the spending, approvals were 10,000 ICE agents to be able to deal with ICE audits and ICE raids,” said Jorge Lopez, chair of the Immigration and Global Mobility Practice Group at Littler. “Right now, [we’re in] a bit of a lull because the budget just got approved, but funding is getting allocated. I think that by the end of the third quarter, if not the first part of the fourth quarter of this year, we’re going to start seeing more activity.”

Lopez discussed the scope of the increased enforcement actions, what manufacters should be doing to prepare for possible immigration site visits or raids and how to be compliant without opening up operations to more risk and scrutiny.

About the Author

Laura Putre

Senior Editor, IndustryWeek

As senior editor, Laura Putre works with IndustryWeek's editorial contributors and reports on leadership and the automotive industry as they relate to manufacturing. She joined IndustryWeek in 2015 as a staff writer covering workforce issues.

Prior to IndustryWeek, Laura reported on the healthcare industry and covered local news. She was the editor of the Chicago Journal and a staff writer for Cleveland Scene. Her national bylines include The Guardian, Slate, Pacific-Standard and The Root.

Laura was a National Press Foundation fellow in 2022.

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