In an unexpected policy reversal, President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged that his aggressive immigration policy is having negative effects on key sectors of the U.S. economy such as agriculture, hospitality and entertainment, where thousands of migrant workers have been deported, creating critical labor shortages.
In a June 12 post on Truth Social, his social network, Trump wrote: “Our great farmers and people in the hotel and entertainment business have said that our immigration policy is driving away very good workers, and those jobs are almost impossible to replace.”
Why does this announcement matter?
Trump, who has stepped up deportations since returning to the White House, acknowledged that ICE raids have affected even workers without criminal records.
This causes many migrants with years of experience to avoid their jobs for fear of arrest.
During an event at the White House, Trump admitted:
“Our farmers are being severely affected. Many of these workers have been with them for 20 years. They are not citizens, but they have been excellent.”
In response, the president said he plans to sign an executive order providing for “a common sense approach.”
This is to balance border security with the labor needs of sectors dependent on migrant labor.
Realities of migrant labor
According to the Department of Homeland Security, between 2020 and 2022, 42% of agricultural workers in the U.S. did not have legal status.
These workers are also present in construction, cleaning and hospitality, industries where companies have reported increasing difficulty in filling positions following mass deportations.
Nuestros agricultores están siendo gravemente afectados
Despite his anti-immigrant rhetoric, Trump has faced criticism for the hypocrisy of his stance.
A Washington Post report revealed that the Trump Organization employed undocumented workers at its hotels for years, including gardeners, waiters and housekeepers.
Current scenarios in 2025
In recent months, ICE has tripled daily arrest quotas (from 1,000 to 3,000), according to Reuters.
This has led to chaotic scenes: raids in restaurants and chases in agricultural fields, as happened recently in Ventura County, California.
There, federal agents in bulletproof vests chased farmers, amid protests and the deployment of the National Guard ordered by Trump.
Despite the harsh measures, mass arrests have not reached the deportation levels of the Biden administration in the same period.
In addition, migration across the southern border has declined dramatically, with fewer than 10,000 monthly crossings reported, compared to more than 100,000 in 2024.
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