Walmart has begun laying off employees at some of its Florida stores after a recent Supreme Court ruling allowed the Trump administration to revoke legal protections previously extended to hundreds of thousands of migrants.
The company has informed staff in at least two locations that continued employment is contingent on obtaining valid work authorization, individuals familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News.
The layoffs stem from the expiration of temporary legal residency status, affecting workers who had previously been permitted to live and work in the US under programs established during the Biden administration.
These terminations are tied to compliance with federal I-9 forms, which employers must use to verify both the identity and employment authorization of their workers.
While the exact number of terminated employees remains unclear, the move is part of a broader wave of corporate responses to a changing legal landscape.
Last month, the Walt Disney Company informed some Florida-based employees who are losing temporary legal status that their jobs would be terminated.
Disney confirmed that it placed 45 workers on leave after the legal ruling, citing compliance with federal immigration laws as the reason.
“We are committed to protecting the health, safety, and well-being of all our employees who may be navigating changing immigration policies and how they could impact them or their families,” Disney said in a statement.
The employees are Venezuelan nationals who had been granted Temporary Protected Status. They will continue to receive benefits while on leave, Disney said.
According to the company, the decision was made to ensure no employees were unknowingly violating US law due to their changing legal status.
The Supreme Court ruling is likely to affect as many as half a million migrants, including individuals from Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua and Cuba.
The ruling effectively permits the Trump administration to end temporary protections for these individuals, who had been allowed to enter the US legally and were often integrated into the workforce.
The Post has sought comment from Walmart.
When reached by Bloomberg News, Walmart declined to comment on the staff reductions or provide details about how many workers may be affected across its 4,600 stores nationwide.
The company employs approximately 1.6 million workers in the US — the majority of whom are hourly employees working in retail locations.
Immigration advocates and local officials in Florida, which has a large immigrant population, have expressed concern over the ramifications of the ruling.
Central Florida, which is home to thousands of Venezuelan migrants, has already begun to feel the ripple effects, Bloomberg News reported.
Many residents from that community had backed Donald Trump in the last presidential election, making the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision particularly resonant.
State Representative Anna Eskamani, a Democrat who is running for mayor of Orlando, criticized the decision.
“Disney sets the standard — other companies in our economy look toward them,” she said. “We don’t have enough workers as it is, so this is a bad situation that’s getting worse.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has not yet issued detailed guidance on how it plans to manage the large number of individuals expected to lose their legal status.
Immigration enforcement officials have indicated that anyone lacking valid authorization could be subject to arrest and deportation.
The Trump administration recently launched a campaign to encourage voluntary departures, offering travel assistance and stipends of up to $1,000 to migrants who choose to leave the country on their own.
States like Florida are home to many industries that rely heavily on immigrant labor. Labor shortages continue to plague key sectors such as hospitality, construction, and retail.
