Federal immigration authorities raided Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel in Vinton, Louisiana, Tuesday as part of a targeted effort to locate undocumented workers within the U.S. racehorse industry.

The business is owned by Nevada-based Boyd Gaming. The Boyd family was once considered a rival of President Donald Trump's business empire, when the then-mogul operated a number of casinos.

"Our Company complies fully with federal labor laws, and to our knowledge, no Delta Downs team members were involved in this matter. We will cooperate with law enforcement as requested," said David Strow, a spokesperson for Boyd Gaming, in a statement to Newsweek.

The Delta Downs racetrack in Vinton, Louisiana, is owned and operated by Boyd Gaming. The Delta Downs racetrack in Vinton, Louisiana, is owned and operated by Boyd Gaming. Courtesy KPLC

In a lengthy statement about the operation, ICE said it had arrested approximately 84 illegal immigrants at the track, and that at least two had previous criminal records.

"An investigation into potential criminal conduct related to the hiring of the illegal aliens remains ongoing and an assessment of whether any civil penalties are appropriate is being conducted," the ICE statement read.

Why It Matters

Trump has vowed to carry out the largest mass deportation operation in United States history. However, the policy has sparked concerns about its potential ripple effects on the economy.

Immigration agents have been conducting raids across the country as they look to remove millions of migrants without legal status amid Trump's hard-line mass removal policy. The White House has said that anyone living in the country "illegally" is a criminal. Critics say the raids sow fear within immigrant communities.

What To Know

The Boyd family operates several properties in Las Vegas, where Trump maintains partial ownership of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. Boyd Gaming also once partnered with MGM on the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, which was meant to compete against Trump's former properties there before they entered bankruptcy.

According to a report from the Daily Racing Form, the raid at Delta Downs focused on backstretch workers, many of whom are vital to the daily operations of horse training and care. Witnesses described a large federal presence, with ICE agents entering dormitories and on-site worker housing.

ICE said the operation "focused on the businesses that own and race thoroughbred and quarter horses out of the stables at the racetrack and the employees who work for them and take care of the horses."

Vinton Police Chief Scott Spell said his department was notified Tuesday morning about a coordinated operation involving Louisiana State Police, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). He clarified that Vinton Police were not involved, noting that Delta Downs falls outside the department's jurisdiction.

Some business leaders have reached out to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to express concern that worker attendance is plummeting amid fears of potential ICE enforcement, with many laborers avoiding job sites entirely, according to the Daily Racing Form report.

According to the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), agricultural production could decline by $30 billion to $60 billion if Trump's deportation policy is fully enacted, while the American Immigration Council projects that the president's policy could conservatively carry an operational cost of $315 billion for a one-time mass deportation.

What People Are Saying

ICE said in an unattributed statement: "The operation was conducted after authorities received intelligence indicating that the businesses operating out of the stables at the racetrack were employing unauthorized workers. Those suspicions were further confirmed during a subsequent site visit."

Ed Fenasci, the executive director of the Louisiana HBPA, said: "With the feds involved, there's not much we can do or say."

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kayla Vincent said its officers "provided limited support by helping search the premises."