Georgia’s Historic Worksite Raid Underscores the Chaos Fueled by Trump’s Immigration Agenda

WASHINGTON DC, Sept. 5 — On September 4, law enforcement agents from several state and federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), executed a sweeping immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in southeastern Georgia. The raid reportedly resulted in at least 475 workers detained, many of whom were South Korean nationals — including some with legal status. It is the largest raid ever conducted in recent history at a single work site.  

In response, the American Immigration Council issued the following commentary. 

“These raids don’t make anyone safer. They terrorize workers, destabilize communities, and push families into chaos,” said Michelle Lapointe, legal director at the American Immigration Council, who is based in the Atlanta, Georgia area.  “This historic raid may make dramatic headlines, but it does nothing to fix the problems in our broken immigration system: a lack of legal pathways and a misguided focus on punishing workers and families who pose no threat to our communities. Raiding work sites isn’t reform, it’s political theater at the expense of families, communities, and our economy.” 

“Immigrant workers are the backbone of our economy, filling critical labor gaps in manufacturing and beyond. Nationwide, 5.7% of manufacturing workers are undocumented, and here in Georgia they make up 6.7% of that workforce. Raiding worksites instead of fixing our pathways to legal employment is cruel, wasteful, and deeply shortsighted. The chilling effect of these raids will make it less likely that people will show up to work, deepening labor shortages and hitting businesses hard at an already precarious economic moment,” said Nan Wu, director of research at the American Immigration Council.  

Council experts are available to discuss why worksite raids are counterproductive and harmful, and what smarter, more effective immigration solutions look like. 

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Nearly Half of Fortune 500 Companies in 2025 Founded by Immigrants or Their Children

WASHINGTON, DC, August 21, 2025 — A new analysis of the 2025 Fortune 500 list reveals that 46.2 percent of America’s largest companies (231 out of 500) were founded by immigrants or their children. These companies generated a staggering $8.6 trillion in revenue in fiscal year 2024 and employed over 15.4 million people worldwide, underscoring the essential role immigrants play in driving innovation, economic growth, and job creation in the United States. 

See our findings here. 

This is the highest level recorded since Council researchers started tracking immigrant entrepreneurs in annual reviews of the Fortune 500 list since 2011.   

“Immigrants are a driving force behind America’s prosperity. We need immigration policies that reflect that, instead of investing billions of dollars into detention, deportation, and making it incredibly difficult for foreign workers to come here or even renew their visas. These reckless policies undermine America’s greatest competitive advantage: the talent and drive of immigrants,” said Nan Wu, director of research at the American Immigration Council.  

Businesses founded by immigrants or their children continue to transform entire industries, from technology to retail to media. Companies on the list include Amazon, Apple, NVIDIA, Levi Strauss & Co., Ace Hardware, and Sirius XM Holdings.  

Explore the data here. 

Key findings include: 

• In fiscal year 2024, these Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants or their children generated $8.6 trillion in revenue—an amount that, if compared with national GDPs, would rank as the third-largest economy globally. 
• Collectively, these companies employed over 15.4 million people worldwide—a workforce comparable to the population of the fifth-largest U.S. state. 
• Immigrants and their children founded 80 percent of the Fortune 500 companies in professional and other services, 65.6 percent in manufacturing, and 57.5 percent in information.   
• Among the 14 companies appearing on the Fortune 500 list for the first time this year, 10 were founded by immigrants or their children.  

“Immigrants built nearly half of our Fortune 500 companies, created millions of jobs, and keep our economy competitive. And yet U.S. political leaders are making it increasingly difficult for foreign talent to come here or stay. It’s economic self-sabotage. If we want to stay the world’s innovation leader, we should be welcoming immigrants, not attacking them,” said Steve Hubbard, senior data scientist at the American Immigration Council.  

The American Immigration Council has experts available to comment further about the benefits that immigrants bring to the U.S. economy, at a national and state level.

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Can Pilots or Flight Attendants go to Canada with a Criminal Record?

If you are a pilot or flight attendant, your career depends on being able to enter different countries smoothly. Having a single past criminal record can create serious obstacles that could limit or block your work. However, there are legal options available for you to be able to fulfill your professional duty to overcome these challenges and keep cruising the air. 

The post Can Pilots or Flight Attendants go to Canada with a Criminal Record? appeared first on Canadim.

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Applying for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to Canada with a criminal record

Canada is happy to welcome eligible foreigners for tourism, business, or family visits and has made this process quick and easy for foreigners from visa-exempt countries with the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) system. However, if you have a past or ongoing criminal record, you will need to take some extra steps before you book that flight to Canada.

The post Applying for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to Canada with a criminal record appeared first on Canadim.

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Can I go to Canada with a Felony on my Record?

Canada is a popular destination for many Americans, whether it is for business meetings, tourism, or family visits. While visiting Canada is as easy as driving through the border, if you have a criminal record, things could be much more complicated.

The post Can I go to Canada with a Felony on my Record? appeared first on Canadim.

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