ICE at work: For fearful employees, anonymity and resource access are key to safety

• What's at Stake: ICE enforcement raises absenteeism, turnover and operational disruption.
• Supporting Data: 2025 EMCI survey, 37% of U.S. workers feel less safe.
• Forward Look: Expect leaders to revisit crisis plans and expand anonymous, privacy-preserving support channels.
  Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

In today's political climate, it's becoming increasingly important for immigrant employees to be able to communicate with their leaders safely.   

A 2025 survey from communication provider EMCI Wireless found that roughly 37% of U.S. workers reported feeling less safe at their workplace due to increased actions from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including raids and high-profile enforcement publicity. Employees are seeking more avenues for support — like systems that allow them to raise concerns, ask for help or provide feedback — without risking their privacy, safety or job security.

"The concept of employees being loyal to a company to any end because they love it so much and it feels like a family is not a thing anymore, especially when situations like ICE raids are happening," says Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz, founder and CEO of Refuerzo Collaborative, a Latino-led communications agency that helps organizations build culturally competent internal strategies. "Employees can't give you 110% in their work if you're not giving them 110% in support."

Read more: ICE at work: Increased mental health benefits are critical amidst raids

In the first seven months of the second Trump administration, ICE conducted at least 40 worksite enforcement actions, which resulted in over 1,100 arrests, according to the American Immigration Council. Whether an employee is documented, undocumented or has undocumented loved ones, the threat of disclosing their identity or the realities of their personal lives at work is causing significant stress, according to Ruiz, especially when they're unsure of where their leaders stand on the issue. The result is rising absenteeism, low productivity, declining trust and collaboration, and even high turnover rates.  

Given these consequences, organizations have to focus on rebuilding trust and supporting employees through clear, transparent policies as well as safe and reliable channels for feedback and assistance. 

"[I tell clients] that keeping things safe and anonymous is really important in times like these," Ruiz says. "An employee may bring something up that is very sensitive, very personal and very important to them but unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world and another employee could find offense to that or even act on that."

Ruiz recalls several situations where she has worked with organizations where employees have called ICE on coworkers. Scenarios like those are very common, according to Ruiz: as of January 2026, over 73,000 people were in detention, with ICE reportedly receiving approximately 15,000 anonymous tips monthly. Organizations can play a role in protecting and preparing employees against the worst case scenario. 

Read more: Whistleblowers allege fraud at ICE detention center

Keeping workplaces safe

According to Ruiz, this moment in time is an opportunity for leaders to revisit crisis planning, strengthen internal communications and ensure workers have access to practical resources and benefits like legal aid, counseling or trusted referrals without having to explicitly disclose their situation or legal status. As counterintuitive as it may seem, Ruiz even encourages leaders to disclose if they don't plan on rolling out protective measures so employees who are seeking guidance or support may do so elsewhere. Similarly, it's important for HR leaders to be transparent about their policies around conflict communication and resolution.

"It's not okay to control the narrative, but it is okay to set guardrails," Ruiz says. "Tell your employees that it's okay to have big, confusing feelings and have important conversations at work, but address boundaries and non-negotiables, and offer external resources if necessary." 

Despite the headlines and the turmoil, Ruiz believes that the long, challenging road ahead could end with necessary and positive changes to workplaces and the future for employees of all backgrounds. 

"The fact that we're even having these conversations gives me hope — it means the world is shifting yet again," Ruiz says. "I think the fact that employers are even asking themselves where they are in space and time keeps me really hopeful."