1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

Letter to Congress Help us Save our American Food Industry Subject: A Bipartisan Demand for Accountability, Safety, and Human Rights To Members of Congress, We write as restaurant owners, food workers, farmers, distributors, leaders and influencers across the American food system. The strength behind our industry comes from people of diverse heritage and skillsets – which is why the American food scene is considered one of the greatest on the planet. It is in this spirit our industry has to stand firm to demand change.  The American food industry depends on safety, trust, and dignity. When workers fear being targeted, racially profiled, surveilled, detained, or killed by the federal government, the entire system suffers. No industry built on human labor can function under terror. Recent federal enforcement actions have resulted in the deaths of our neighbors and U.S. citizens and have created widespread fear throughout our communities. This is destabilizing workplaces across the country, risking cascading economic damage – including labor shortages, restaurant and farm closures, interrupted supply chains, and rising food costs nationwide.  This violence is being carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement which is funded, authorized, and overseen by Congress. You must take action now. This is not a partisan demand. It is a human one. Before any further federal funding is approved, we demand the following non-negotiable actions: 1 Immediate withdrawal of ICE and CBP operations from Minneapolis–St. Paul and other cities experiencing violent enforcement actions. 2 Full, independent investigations into all civilian deaths involving federal agents. 3 An absolute end to the detention and deportation of U.S. citizens. 4 Mandatory visible identification for all federal agents and a prohibition on the use of masks during enforcement actions. 5 An end to mass arrest quotas, arrest incentives, and warrantless arrests. 6 Codification of a national use-of-force standard that is enforceable by courts. 7 An end to qualified immunity protections for ICE agents. 8 An end to racial profiling in all federal enforcement operations. 9 An end to warrantless surveillance systems used by ICE, including the weaponization of personal phones and location data to track individuals and communities. 10 An end to the detention of individuals with no criminal background. Our industry has long partnered with law enforcement, complied with immigration regulations, and fed communities of every political, cultural, and religious background. We recognize what fair and constitutional enforcement looks like – and this is not it. We cannot function under terror. Our communities cannot thrive under fear. We urge you to choose human life and accountability over silence. Signed,