Farmers, cattle ranchers and hotel and restaurant managers breathed a sigh of relief last week when President Donald Trump ordered a pause to immigration raids that were disrupting those industries and scaring foreign-born workers off the job.
"There was finally a sense of calm,'' said Rebecca Shi, CEO of the American Business Immigration Coalition.
That respite didn't last long.
On Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin declared, "There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine immigration enforcement efforts. Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability.''
The flipflop baffled businesses trying to figure out the government's actual policy, and Shi says now "there's fear and worry once more."