North Texas restaurants facing labor shortages amid immigration crackdown; industry praises Trump's pause on raids
President Trump's immigration crackdown has impacted restaurants in North Texas; however, the administration has announced a pause on raids targeting farms, hotels, and eateries—and the Texas Restaurant Association is applauding the news.
At Café y Tequila Mexican restaurant in Irving, the kitchen is a little quieter than usual. The owner, Jesus Sagrero, said the current immigration policies are taking a toll on his business.
Sagrero said they used to have several Central American and Mexican workers looking for jobs, but that's slowed down since the beginning of this year, and even more so, over the last few weeks. He said not only is it hard to find employees, but clientele is down, too, by about 45%.
"There would be a lot of calls, people coming in, leaving their phone numbers, but ultimately, it's gone down a lot... those people aren't coming anymore asking for jobs," said Sagrero. "I imagine a lot of these employees and clients are not coming in because of the immigration raids that are happening across the country."
Café y Tequila Mexican is just one of several restaurants in the metroplex facing a labor shortage.
The Texas Restaurant Association said 47% of Texas restaurant operators currently have job openings that are difficult to fill, and 21% of those restaurants don't have enough employees to support the demand.
"As we talk with restaurant owners in every corner, the word is fear. So, no matter your status, you may be afraid to come to work. That means you're not earning a paycheck. You're not contributing to the economy, we've seen along some of our border communities where we have restaurants that can't open because they don't have staffing," said Emily Williams Knight, the Texas Restaurant Association CEO and President. "You have to remember, if people stop going to work in restaurants, that means restaurants can't serve their community. That means the dollar that restaurants put into each community, for a dollar spent, goes away, and then those workers are also not spending."
Because of recent protests and backlash, the Trump administration recently announced it would halt immigration enforcement in key industries, including at restaurants, which Williams Knight said they support.
She said about 22% of employees within the industry are immigrants, which means if they aren't showing up for work, it's going to have an economic impact, adding that immigrants are a critical component in the industry.
"We don't use them or view them as a source of labor. They are critical to making sure that we can do what we do best, which is produce a great plate of food and offer a great experience," said Williams Knight. "And so, I think for us, we view these employees as a member of the team, and anytime a member of a team is at risk, our association steps up to stand up."
As for Sagrero, he said he'll keep showing up to help keep his restaurant afloat and hopes the immigration issue subsides.
"We'll be here as long as we can, and either way, thanks to everyone who still supports us," he said.
