In his first week back in office, President Trump unveiled a number of immigration policies to bolster his campaign promises of taking a hardline approach to illegal immigration, which may have some employers, and their HR functions, on edge, concerned about potential workplace raids.

During his first administration, Trump authorized a number of high-profile “worksite enforcement” actions, or workplace raids by Immigration & Customs Enforcement; under the Obama and Biden administrations, emphasis was instead placed on prosecuting employers that hired undocumented immigrants.

Given the vocal support for mass deportations from figures like the so-called “border czar” and Project 2025 author Tom Homan, and executive orders that “broadened the scope of enforcement priorities to any individual in the United States without authorization,” it’s likely that employers can expect “more immigration enforcement at worksites,” says Marissa E. Cwik, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Denver office.

Chicago officials and residents braced for raids last week after the Wall Street Journal reported that the new administration planned to launch large-scale crackdowns on illegal immigration as soon as one day after Trump’s inauguration. On Jan. 23, the mayor of Newark, N.J., issued a statement that Immigration & Customs Enforcement “raided” a local business that day, detaining “undocumented residents, as well as citizens, without producing a warrant.” Sources reportedly told ABC News, however, that the incident was part of routine ICE operations.

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Source : https://hrexecutive.com/workplace-raids-are-coming-under-trump-how-can-hr-prepare/