US President Donald Trump has deemed this a time for a major crackdown on immigration. This unprecedented crackdown adversely affects nearly 500,000 foreign nationals who until now were granted temporary reprieves through a humanitarian exception. Recently, this administration has stepped up their game after a surprising Supreme Court ruling on May 30. This judgment authorized them to cancel protected status for close to 350,000 Venezuelan migrants. The administration’s actions have sparked protests across the city of Los Angeles in the past few days.
Since June 6, Trump’s administration has accelerated its attack on factories and work sites. Consequently, they have started sending out termination notices to foreign nationals. These people had been granted two-year temporary deferrals. They got engaged with the CHNV program, which was tailored specifically toward people escaping violence and conflict in their countries of origin. Yet, the sudden end to these protections has shocked millions and is causing widespread public outcry.
The Supreme Court’s decision did leave the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with the power to direct CHNV participants to depart the country. In alarm, the Trump administration quickly moved to deport these immigrants. Many of those affected are now pursuing a lawsuit that challenges the revocation of protections extended during the Biden administration.
Trump has expressed concerns about how his deportation regime impacts farmers, stating that many have relied on long-term immigrant workers. He highlighted the significant damage that the sudden loss of these workers would cause to farming operations.
“Farmers are being hurt badly … They have very good workers, they’ve worked for them for 20 years, they’re not citizens but they’ve turned out to be great,” – Donald Trump
In all his remarks, Trump made it clear that he wants a stable workforce. He focused on how essential this is for agriculture and other sectors that rely on immigrant labor. He bemoaned the effects that would arise by uprooting people who have put down roots in their communities and workforces.
“We can’t take farmers and take all their people and send them back,” – Donald Trump
The administration’s recent decision has been met with intense outrage from advocacy groups, who say it negatively impacts too many lives and livelihoods. Many of the affected immigrants have lived and worked in the United States for years, contributing to various sectors of the economy.
The very same administration that claims to care about American workers and farmers. They caution that punitive immigration measures could backfire and push desirable workers out of reach. He focused on the need for a better balance between immigration enforcement goals and economic demands.
“You go into a farm and you look and people … they’ve been there for 20, 25 years, and they’ve worked great and the owner of the farm loves them and everything else,” – Donald Trump
While Trump has celebrated the role of long-term immigrant workers, especially in the context of COVID-19, he has overall hardened his anti-undocumented immigrant line. Underpinning many of his policies are the goals of removing criminals from the U.S., and protecting those whom this country cannot do without—often through the labor forces they provide.
“This is no good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA,” – Donald Trump
The recent protests in Los Angeles are indicative of an overwhelming pushback against this administration’s direction. Many community members express their solidarity with affected immigrants and call for a more humane immigration policy that recognizes their contributions.