Politics
JUST IN: Trump Reverses Course, Announces Major Update On Deportations
President Donald Trump has instructed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to continue immigration raids targeting farms, hotels and other places of business after stating earlier this week that immigration enforcement operations targeting such locations would be paused.
Trump announced on social media this past Thursday that he is willing to exempt the agriculture and hotel industries from immigration enforcement operation raids for the near future. The surprise reversal came as powerful executives in both industries reportedly complained that they will be unable to stay afloat with the loss of cheap, imported labor.
“Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” Trump wrote.
“In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs,” he added. “This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!”
The New York Times reported the next day that a senior ICE official had ordered agents to pause raids targeting agricultural businesses, meat packing plants, restaurants and hotels. The unnamed official also reportedly instructed agents to refrain from arresting illegal aliens who have not committed an additional crime after illegally entering the country.
After backlash from a large segment of the Trump base, the Washington Post reported Monday that the president had reversed course and ordered ICE to continue operations as usual. Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including its Homeland Security Investigations division, told agency leaders in a call Monday that agents must continue conducting immigration raids at agricultural businesses, hotels and restaurants, two people familiar with the call told the outlet.
The instructions were made clear in a conference call to 30 agency heads across the country. An unnamed DHS official had previously sent an email Thursday telling agents to “hold on all worksite enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels.”
“There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Monday. “Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability.”
According to the report, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller voiced his opposition to carveouts for certain industries, according to the report. Miller found himself at odds with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who advised the president to provide exemptions for the aforementioned industries.
