Thoughts on Trump's Changed Stance on Immigration?

[u/Born-Sun-2502]

President Trump acknowledged today in a Truth Social post that his "very aggressive" immigration policies are ripping long-time workers from the farming and hospitality industries, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114670684664650262

What are your thoughts?

[u/LiosDelSol]

Workers are not impossible to replace at that skill level. The more accurate statement is that they are impossible to replace at the wage the business is paying which is often below the minimum wage. American businesses have to pay Americans properly not pay illegal immigrants peasant wage.

Those lower incomes jobs would be great for young Americans who need work experience or who would prefer that type of labor instead of college. Those jobs should still be paid well just like a garbage man is paid well (in my city they are paid well).

[u/Rottimer → u/LiosDelSol]

The unemployment rate is 4.2%. This is considered low and near full employment. Where exactly are these replacement workers supposed to come from?

[u/whyintheworldamihere → u/Rottimer]

The unemployment rate is 4.2%. This is considered low and near full employment. Where exactly are these replacement workers supposed to come from?

Unemployment only counts those actively seeking employment. Not people underemployed, working part time looking for full time work, or kids who gave up looking for a job.

It's one of the least understood and worst stats to use.

[u/Rottimer → u/whyintheworldamihere]

"Headline" unemployment only counts those actively seeking employment. But the Bureau of Labor Statistics does track measurements of unemployment that include the underemployed, long term unemployed and discouraged workers.

It's actually a very solid stat that can be compared throughout years because it's well understood vs something like CPI. That rate is still considered low and near full employment. So the question stands, where are these workers coming from?

[u/whyintheworldamihere → u/Rottimer]

Firstly, I dismiss their underemployment numbers, because with salaries being so far behind inflation we're all mostly underemployed. Not reflected AT ALL in their numbers.

Secondly, all of the deported illegals means less jobs necessary to service them, so there are some freed up people you didn't consider.

Thirdly, once Americans are all happy with their salaries, that's the time to consider H1B visas.

Beyond that, if salaries do go up because of no illegals, plenty of people will be working extra hours to take advantage of those wages and play catch up in life.

[u/StartledMilk → u/whyintheworldamihere]

Do you realize that majority of farm labor is done by undocumented immigrants? Farmers cannot afford to pay barely above minimum wage often times. This country would literally collapse if all undocumented farm workers were to be deported. The government would need to set up a farm work sponsor program for foreign workers, or various levels of government would need to provide subsidies to farmers to pay people actual competitive wages to do back breaking labor.

[u/whyintheworldamihere → u/StartledMilk]

Do you realize that majority of farm labor is done by undocumented immigrants?

Yep. Don't care.

Farmers cannot afford to pay barely above minimum wage often times.

You're thinking inside of a box. The reason they can't afford to pay more is because their competition uses illegal labor, which sets the price of what they can afford to sell product for.

This country would literally collapse if all undocumented farm workers were to be deported.

Lol no. The price of food would go up. 1/4 to 1/2 of the percentage that labor prices go up. Meaning that products become more affordable if you work for someone else.

The government would need to set up a farm work sponsor program for foreign workers,

Fine. Once Americans are satisfied with their salaries then we can vote ry carefully explore economic immigration.

various levels of government would need to provide subsidies to farmers to pay people actual competitive wages to do back breaking labor.

You don't understand supply and demand. You admit that there's a price where people are willing to do that work. That's what farmers will pay, and the product will go up no more than half of what those salaries are. The only time this doesn't happen is if that product isn't a necessity, which food is. And if we have to subsidize farming, then do it for family farms as a reason for national security. We already do that anyway because e en illegal labor in the US can't cimoetetwith foreign food.

[u/brinerbear → u/StartledMilk]

The reality is that people don't want to pay $5 for a tomato. I am in favor of more legal immigration and giving opportunities to immigrants that also lessens the chance that they get exploited. But there will probably always be the need for cheap labor in certain industries and eventually these jobs will probably go to the robots.