More than 100 organizations representing millions in the foodservice industry join Seat the Table

More than 100 organizations representing millions in the foodservice industry join Seat the Table, urge Congress to act on work permits and affordability

Coalition calls for immigrant work permits as uncertainty over El Salvador Temporary Protected Status adds to workforce concerns facing food and agriculture industries

WASHINGTON - September 9, 2026, Seat the Table, a national coalition of foodservice, agriculture and hospitality businesses advocating for work permits for long-term, la-abiding immigrant food workers, announced that more than 100 lead signatories from all 50 states have joined its coalition. The milestone comes as the current Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador reaches its scheduled expiration date, adding uncertainty for employers and workers navigating workforce and affordability pressures across America's food system.

"More than 100 organizations from all 50 states have joined Seat the Table as lead signatories because our food pipeline is facing an urgent challenge," Rebecca Shi, CEO of the American Business Immigration Coalition, said. "We are losing long-term workers who have built lives in our communities, paid taxes and become essential members of the businesses that help feed America. Employers need the ability to retain experienced workers, and these workers deserve to continue contributing to the communities they have called home for years without fear. Congress should seize the opportunity to strengthen our economy, and our food pipeline, and ensure that immigrant workers are no longer targeted at once. We can have both a secure border and a secure workforce."

Led by the American Business Immigration Coalition, Texas Restaurant Association, James Beard Foundation and other hospitality and agriculture organizations, Seat the Table supports a variety of bipartisan immigration and workforce reforms. In the House, those proposals include the Dignity Act, the Dream and Promise Act, the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act, and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. In the Senate, they include the Senate Dream Act of 2025 and the State-Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Act.

"Restaurants and their suppliers are working harder than ever to manage rising costs, address workforce shortages and keep menu prices within reach for their customers," Kelsey Erickson Streufert, chief public affairs officer of the Texas Restaurant Association, said. "Congress has a menu of solutions to address the concern of most Americans-affordability. Now it's time for them to act, starting with work permits for the long-term, law-abiding immigrants who make the meals we love possible."

Immigrants make up approximately 20% of the restaurant workforce, representing about 36% of restaurant owners, and supporting millions of other jobs in the industry. Changes to legal immigrant pathways, like Temporary Protected Status, reduces the number of experienced workers in the industry, creating instability within the food workforce pipeline. Additionally, a recent analysis estimates that existing immigration policies are expected to increase food prices for Americans by an additional 14.5%.

"Every meal served in a restaurant begins and ends with hard-working people, from those who grow and harvest our food to those who prepare and serve it," Anne McBride, vice president of impact for the James Beard Foundation, said. "A strong food system depends on an experienced, reliable workforce at every step. The growing and diverse mix of leaders joining Seat the Table shows how far this challenge reaches and why our industry is coming together to support solutions that provide greater stability for workers, businesses and the communities they serve."

On September 15, Seat the Table leaders will gather in Washington to urge Congress to act on the menu of work permit solutions available to support long-term immigrant workers and the nation's food system.

To learn more about Seat the Table and view the full list of signatories, visit SeatTheTable.org.

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ABOUT SEAT THE TABLE

Seat the Table is a nationwide coalition of foodservice leaders representing every link in the food supply chain, from farms and ranches to restaurants and hospitality businesses. Founded by the American Business Immigration Coalition, Texas Restaurant Association, the James Beard Foundation and a diverse group of hospitality and agriculture organizations, the coalition works to advance practical workforce solutions that strengthen food production, support local businesses and address rising prices for American families. With members in all 50 states, Seat the Table brings together industry leaders, operators and advocates focused on stabilizing the workforce that keeps the nation fed. For more information visit SeatTheTable.org.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES FOR ATTRIBUTION

"There is no solution to the workforce shortage that the food industry faces, from farms to restaurants, that doesn't involve sensible, bipartisan immigration reform. And there is no solution to inflation without solving food-related inflation," Michael Shemtov, founder of Honest to Goodness Hospitality, said. "It is in the country's best interest, and in both parties' best interest, to work with Seat the Table to move forward reforms. And the great news is, it also happens to be morally right. It's good politics, good economic policy and good morals in one."

"I've spent decades in the restaurant industry and seen plenty of ups and downs, but this is one of the hardest periods yet," Mary Sue Milliken, chef-owner of Mundo Hospitality Group, said. "Immigration enforcement has driven workforce shortages that are pushing up costs and making it harder to offer reasonably priced meals to our customers. Restaurants, farms, ranches, dairies, and food distributors are only as strong as the people who run them - many of whom have lived and worked here for decades without committing crimes. It's economically critical to keep them working. Congress needs to act now and create a path to legal work permits for long-term immigrant workers in restaurants and agriculture."