Raid

Tuesday's immigration raid at Delta Downs--which resulted in the reported apprehension of 84 undocumented individuals--reminds industry stakeholders once again of a frustrating conundrum. On the one hand, they must navigate an environment of ramped-up immigration enforcement, and the potential that what happened at Delta Downs could happen at any other racetrack around the country. On the other, they face a long-broken system that makes sourcing legal immigrant workers a bureaucratic nightmare. "It's insanely difficult," said trainer Doug O'Neill, about a visa system that's necessary to properly staff the racetrack backstretch....

Immigration enforcement officers raided the Delta Downs racetrack Tuesday morning in what has been described as a sweep of the backstretch, which had been closed off by the authorities. The raid, involving drones, was coordinated between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), state and local law enforcement agencies, according to several sources. In the latest development in an evolving situation, "several dozen individuals" have been detained at the track as part of the raid, said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the national Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). Delta Downs' latest Thoroughbred...