The horse racing industry is caught up in the migrant debate

With the Trump administration continuing to target migrants, one unexpected industry has been thrust into the spotlight given its visa-heavy workforce: horse racing. A large percentage of the people who work on America's horse racing tracks are migrants, and the industry is often a lifeline for those looking for legal status. As a result, horse racing insiders are pressuring the White House to provide enhanced protections for them.

Why do so many migrants work on horse racing tracks?

About 78% of workers on the backstretch (near where the horses are stabled) are immigrants, according to the industry outlet Thoroughbred Daily News. This figure could be even higher, as trainer Graham Motion told another industry outlet, BloodHorse — with potentially 80% to 90% of racetrack workers being foreigners.

Part of the reason so many migrants work in horse racing is that it pays well, as "employers may be more willing to pony up thousands of dollars upfront for the right workers that would give them a competitive edge in the next race," said NPR. The industry also relies on migrant workers to "get a horse on the track, because owners and trainers say they're unable to find enough U.S.-born workers." Beyond this, workers likw horse grooms "get a cut of a winning horse's cash prize, which can top tens of thousands of dollars."

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Many of the jockeys, "who ride the horses in the race and often exercise them in the morning, are largely immigrants, as well," said the Louisville Courier-Journal. In all, migrant workers in horse racing "help generate $177 billion for the American economy," American Business Immigration Coalition CEO Rebecca Shi told Newsweek.

What is happening with these workers' legal statuses?

A "large portion of the workforce is estimated to be without legal status," said NPR, which horse racing industry experts say could pose a problem given the Trump administration's migrant deportations. Some have visas or are in the process of getting them, but visas like the H-2B visa for "non-agriculture seasonal labor such as in hospitality, landscaping or working with animals" have been capped for 2025.

The industry has been urging Congress to "talk about a legal pathway for farm and racetrack workers," said the Courier-Journal. That would "protect backside workers, who are legally here on a work visa, but are still stressed about being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)." Even prior to visas being halted for 2025, H2-B workers have to "reapply for their visa every 10 months through a cumbersome process, and only so many are given."

Outside of Congressional pushes, a "recently implemented regulatory change" could "turn temporary employment into something permanent," said NPR. This change states that H2-B workers with pending green card applications are "eligible to apply for permanent residency in the U.S. without risking their visa status." Previously, having a pending green card application could "not only jeopardize an H-2B worker's chances of visa renewal but also increase the risk of the green card itself being denied."

For now, many migrants remain "undocumented because the demand for people to care for and feed the horses far outpaces the visas issued," said CBS News. It is "very important for us to be able to have this pipeline," Eric Hamelback, the president of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, told WKYT-TV Lexington. Horse racing needs a "program where we can keep workers, get them here on a visa, get them on a fast track to a green card so that we can have them for a consistent workforce."