As the Trump administration has ramped up deportations and cracked down on security at the border, lawmakers and trade groups are urging the White House to ease restrictions on temporary work visas, and provide avenues for immigrants to stay in the country long term. 

According to The New York Times, the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) — which represents more than 300 businesses employing immigrant workers — petitioned leaders in Washington, D.C. on March 25, in a push for "bipartisan, common-sense immigration solutions balancing security and economic strength." 

"Employers need access to a stable and reliable pipeline of talent across sectors to make our country globally competitive,” ABIC CEO Rebecca Shi said. 

The ABIC also met with lawmakers to throw the group's support behind a pair of proposed bills. The first bill was put forth by Republican Congressman Dan Newhouse, and would allow some undocumented agricultural workers to remain in the U.S. legally, and provide more flexibility for those with active work visas. The second bill — sponsored by Republican Congresswoman María Salazar — would establish a path to legal residence for undocumented workers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that roughly 42% of hired crop farm workers do not have any work authorization.

Those calls may ultimately fall on deaf ears, given that the Trump administration has consistently pursued the agenda laid out in Project 2025, which calls for the winding down of guest worker visas that many businesses in the agricultural industry rely on to bring in seasonal workers. Managers at resorts, plant nurseries and fish processors also faced a brief scare in March, when the Department of Homeland Security delayed its release of H-2B visas for seasonal businesses looking to bring on migrant workers for the summer months. DHS announced on March 26 that businesses can count on those visas getting issued, but the delay set the stage for what will likely be a far more uncertain future for migrant labor in the U.S. in the months and years to come.