The Texas Restaurant Association is calling on Congress and the White House to take urgent action as the state’s hospitality industry faces mounting pressure from immigration enforcement policies.
The association, which represents the state’s largest private employer, warned that restaurants, bars, and hotels are struggling to keep staff.
“Stop deporting our workers,” the group urged in a message aimed at federal leaders.
Immigrants make up 22% of Texas’s restaurant workforce, not including undocumented workers who are more difficult to track. These workers are essential to daily operations, from kitchens to customer service.
Anniele Ruiz of KHOU reported that fear of immigration raids is keeping many from seeking work and discouraging customers from going out.
That climate of fear, she noted, is creating a ripple effect across entire communities that depend on immigrant labor and spending.
One Houston restaurant owner said he was forced to shut down four food trucks, two of which were in Colony Ridge, an area impacted by recent raids. He explained that the closures were driven by both staffing shortages and falling customer traffic.
The association warned that labor shortages are already affecting supply chains and will result in rising prices for consumers.
Higher costs for ingredients, slower service, and reduced hours are already being seen in some establishments, according to members of the group.
More than 970 industry leaders have signed a letter urging temporary work permits for law-abiding, taxpaying immigrants who contribute to the state’s economy.
They argue that without a legal pathway to employment, the labor gap will only widen.
Federal Enforcement and State Shifts
The Trump administration has maintained a strict stance.
“Anyone in the country illegally is subject to deportation,” officials said, while also stressing that border security and economic growth can coexist.
At the same time, Texas is recalibrating how it spends state funds on border security.
During the Biden years, the state poured $11 billion into border operations, including a short-lived wall project.
With crossings now at historic lows since Trump’s return to office, lawmakers approved another $3.4 billion for border enforcement over the next two years.
But instead of building more barriers, most of the money is going to the Department of Public Safety and Texas Military Department to support deportations and immigration raids inside the state.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration described state forces as “force multipliers” for federal immigration enforcement.
Press secretary Andrew Mahaleris said, “Thanks to President Trump’s bold leadership, the federal government is finally fulfilling its obligation to secure the southern border and deport criminal illegal immigrants.”
DPS officials have formed strike teams across Texas to assist federal agents in locating and arresting individuals who entered the country illegally and are now accused of committing crimes.
As of early April, nearly 5,800 such individuals had been identified.
Balancing Business and Security
The change has sparked concerns among small businesses and local governments.
Critics warn that new laws requiring county sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration authorities could increase costs and strain trust between police and immigrant communities.
Some programs, previously discontinued by the federal government over profiling concerns, have now been reactivated.
Meanwhile, some smaller counties worry that state grants may not cover their added responsibilities.
Advocates argue that many rural areas, already stretched thin, could face financial hardship as a result of this expanded enforcement role.
Rep. Eddie Morales, a Democrat representing border communities including Eagle Pass, said the recent budget changes are “a step in the right direction” but emphasized the need for fiscal caution.
“I have to weigh and balance the issue of border security and protecting Texans with the expenses,” he told the Texas Tribune.
For Texas restaurants and hospitality businesses, the debate comes down to survival.
The association says without immediate relief, more closures and job losses are inevitable.
As one industry leader put it, federal leaders must act quickly “before more businesses shut their doors.”