Donald Trump is pausing ICE raids on farms, hotels and eateries

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has abruptly shifted the focus of its mass deportation campaign, telling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to largely pause raids and arrests in the agricultural industry, hotels and restaurants, according to an internal email and three US officials with knowledge of the guidance.

The decision suggested that the scale of President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign - an issue that is at the heart of his presidency - is hurting industries and constituencies that he does not want to lose.

The new guidance comes after protests in Los Angeles against the Trump administration's immigration raids, including at farms and businesses. It also came as Trump made a rare concession this week that his crackdown was hurting American farmers and hospitality businesses.

The guidance was sent Thursday in an email by a senior ICE official, Tatum King, to regional leaders of the ICE department that generally carries out criminal investigations, including worksite operations, known as Homeland Security Investigations.

"Effective today, please hold on all worksite enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels," he wrote in the message.

The email explained that investigations involving "human trafficking, money laundering, drug smuggling into these industries are OK."

The department of homeland security confirmed the guidance. "We will follow the president's direction and continue to work to get the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens off of US streets," a spokesperson said.