President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement team is making it clear: businesses that profit from illegal labor are officially on notice. In the largest worksite enforcement operation in recent history, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested more than 1,000 illegal alien workers and is seeking nearly $1 million in fines against employers who knowingly hired them.
This sweeping crackdown, led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), marks a bold escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to restore law and order to the American labor market. Acting HSI Executive Associate Director Robert Hammer said the goal is twofold: stop the flow of illegal labor and hold complicit businesses accountable.
“Companies that exploit illegal labor undercut American workers and defy the rule of law,” Hammer stated. “This administration will not tolerate it.”
As part of the operation, ICE issued subpoenas to more than 1,200 businesses across the country, demanding employment records and auditing hiring practices. Among the most high-profile actions were the arrests of 37 illegal workers at a roofing company in Washington state and a coordinated raid at a Texas bakery, where eight illegal workers and both business owners were taken into custody.
In a separate case, ICE filed a civil complaint against a Chinese-run money laundering operation that had allegedly been staffing illegal workers at a factory in Ohio. Authorities are seeking to seize 14 properties, seven bank accounts, and 15 vehicles tied to the illicit network.
The Trump administration is also pushing for a nationwide E-Verify mandate—a digital system that allows employers to confirm the legal work status of potential hires. Immigration policy experts argue that such a system would effectively dismantle the primary magnet drawing illegal immigrants into the country: jobs.
“Illegal aliens aren’t coming here to sightsee,” said Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies. “They’re coming for work. Shut that door, and many of them will self-deport.”
Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the solution lies not just at the border but in holding employers accountable. “Take away the incentive, and you take away the problem,” Mehlman said.
According to a recent FAIR report, the estimated illegal alien population in the United States now stands at a staggering 18.6 million—highlighting the scale of the crisis and the urgent need for action.
President Trump’s administration is making it clear that this isn’t just about enforcement at the border. It’s about defending the American worker, restoring the integrity of immigration law, and sending a message to businesses: if you hire illegal labor, you’ll pay the price.
This is what real immigration enforcement looks like—and under Trump, it’s back in full force.