Later on Thursday, President Trump acknowledged the role of American farmers who rely on undocumented workers and aimed to shield some of these individuals from his administration’s deportation actions.
“Farmers, they understand; they’ve been working with these folks for years. It’s pretty disheartening, even after all this time—some workers have been on those farms for 14 or 15 years—and we just can’t overlook that,” he remarked.
In his address, Trump indicated that his administration is crafting legislation to allow certain undocumented immigrants to stay in the country and continue their work on farms.
“We’re collaborating with them to get this right. We’re going to take responsibility, and I think it’s going to please a lot of people,” Trump noted.
He then directed his attention to Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins, who was present, and inquired, “They’ll get it, right?”
He mentioned that Rollins previously highlighted the issue, saying, “We’ve been facing challenges. Farmers are losing a lot of workers.” The situation involves over 86,000 farms, and he stressed the need to hold farmers accountable.
The White House is currently navigating the complexities of immigrant labor in both the farming and hospitality sectors. A few days after an initial directive, the administration instructed immigration officials to primarily focus on enforcing the law in hotels and agricultural sites in early June.
Later that month, Trump shared in an interview with Fox News that temporary permits would be granted to workers in the hospitality and farming sectors, giving employers more flexibility.
“I’m looking out for the farmers, especially for those who may have been affected when we had to remove workers who’d been employed there for 15 or 20 years. What we aim to do is support the farmers,” he explained. “Farmers understand that they’re not going to hire anyone dangerous.”
While speaking in Iowa, Trump warned that failure to perform well could result in consequences for farmers, suggesting a drastic outcome if the situation isn’t addressed.
“We need to deal with those causing issues and hold the farmers to their commitments. That’s where we’re heading, so be prepared,” he said.
