Around 80 migrant workers were arrested by ICE earlier this week at Louisiana’s Delta Downs racetrack. Members of the horseracing industry say those raids could leave tracks with massive workforce shortages.
Those in the horseracing industry say around 75% of people who work on the “backside” of tracks are immigrants.
Peter Ecabert is the general legal council for the national Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, a trade association that represents racehorse owners and trainers. He says racetracks rely on migrant work.
“It's difficult to find anyone that's willing to do the work that the grooms and the hot walkers who work on the backside, they do, because it's difficult. It's labor intensive type work that most Americans don't want to do,” Ecabert said.
Ecabert says most racetrack workers have some form of local documentation in order to get a racing license.
“There are requirements that they have to show documentation to make sure that they are here legally to get that license,” he said, “In that respect, there has been one layer of government oversight that has taken place with respect to those folks.”
Ecabert says the association regularly pushes to get visas for as many racetrack workers as possible. They’re asking members of Congress to advocate for their workers in the meantime.
