Mass Deportation Plans Ruffle Local Hospitality and Restaurant Industries

It's been a little over a week since Donald Trump entered the Oval Office and signed a flurry of executive orders — many on the first day of his presidency. Several of these directives were overtly hostile toward immigrants in preparation for his mass deportation plans.

What would it look like for Washington's workforce and economy if it were to lose its immigrant workers? In Washington, immigrants make up 19% of workers and generate $145 billion of economic output — their contribution to GDP is nearly equivalent to their share of the workforce.

Jenny Kim, a Washington State University professor of hospitality business management, said she would estimate that about 25% to 30% of the hospitality workforce in the state are immigrants. "[They're] very important, very critical — especially nowadays," Kim said. "After COVID-19, in the hospitality industry … we are experiencing labor shortages."

Kim said that imminent mass deportation plans are likely to affect smaller and family-owned hotels that may not have as thorough a vetting process for their employees as large hotels.

Hotels aren't the only businesses that rely on their immigrant employees; restaurants do, too. In 2024, the National Restaurant Association reported that 21% of its employees were immigrants.

Tom Douglas Restaurants owns several restaurants in Seattle, including Serious Pie, Seatown Rub Shack & FishFry, and Lola. Eric Tanaka, managing director of Tom Douglas Restaurants, estimates that about 40% of their employees are immigrants. "We're fully dependent on our immigrant coworkers," Tanaka said. "There's no way we could do what we do without them."

When the new administration took office, news started spreading in different major cities about raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). NBC News found that nationwide, 1,179 people were detained by ICE on Jan. 26, with raids taking place in cities like Chicago and New York City. But there have also been instances of unverified ICE sightings, and when that information spreads through the immigrant community, which is already fearful, it can be paralyzing and instill unnecessary fear.

Anthony Anton, CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association, said he's working to ensure that any time he does hear about potential ICE activity, he verifies it.

"I like to stay away from internet theories," Anton said. "We want to ensure that when we inform people, we're informing them of the real stuff." Witness.org offers a resource for verifying reports of ICE activity.

Anton said ICE inspections have occurred throughout multiple presidential administrations and have happened annually for many years. He advises small businesses to ensure their paperwork is up to date in case immigration authorities enter the premises.

Tanaka said right now, Tom Douglas Restaurants is looking into what is likely to happen if a federal agency does show up at their restaurant, as that has not happened before. The Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network offers accurate information about ICE activity in different areas throughout the state, including Seattle, via its rapid response network, which includes a raid report hotline (1-844-RAID-REP and 1-844-724-3737) and an SMS alert system (Text "ICE" or "Migra" to 509-300-4959).