President Donald Trump is stirring controversy again after suggesting that undocumented workers are “naturally” suited for farm labor, while “inner city” Americans are unwilling to take on these jobs.
Though Trump entered his second term aggressively pushing deportations, his administration initially hesitated when immigration raids began targeting farms. However, they soon resumed those efforts.
According to a recent Politico report, officials are currently debating how to support farmers needing migrant labor without appearing to grant special treatment or amnesty to undocumented workers in the agricultural sector.
President Trump stated his administration will continue to deport criminals but aims to “work with” farmers to secure migrant workers — many of whom enter the country illegally but still pay taxes. Trump indicated his administration is exploring a program that would require these workers to leave the U.S. and reenter legally through an immigration program. Opponents of immigration have voiced concerns that such exceptions could lead to a slippery slope.
Politico also reported that the administration has considered expanding access to the H-2A visa program for non-seasonal agricultural work, such as in the dairy industry.
President Trump Suggests Undocumented Workers Are ‘Naturally’ Fit for Farm Labor
On Tuesday (August 5), Donald Trump — appearing to balance support for farmers and anti-immigration voices — told CNBC that replacing undocumented farm workers is no simple task. He explained:
“I want to work with them. And in some cases, we’re sending them back to their country with a pass back in legally. And we’re doing things that are very difficult to do and very complex, but it works really well. We’re sending them back, and then they’re schooling, they’re learning, they’re coming in, they’re coming in legally. We have a lot of that going on, but we’re taking care of our farmers. We can’t let our farmers not have anybody.”
Despite critics insisting Americans could fill these positions, Trump acknowledged that “people who live in the inner city” simply won’t do farm work. He added:
“You know, you can’t replace them very easily. You know, people that live in the inner city are not doing that work. They’re just not doing that work. And they’ve tried. We’ve tried. Everybody’s tried. They don’t do it. These people do it naturally. Naturally. I said, ‘What happens’ — to a farmer the other day — ’What happens if they get a bad back?’ He said, ‘They don’t get a bad back, sir, because if they get a bad back, they die.’ I said, ‘That’s interesting.’ Isn’t it? In many ways, they’re very, very special people.”
If you want me to tweak it more casual, formal, or with any other style, just say!
