Recommendations of the Editorial team
On August 3, 2025, US President Donald Trump said in a CNBC interview that migrants were “naturally” suitable for severe physical work. This statement fell as part of a conversation about the economic effects his previous term and immigration policy.
“You don’t get a herniated disc – you die”
Trump referred to his government’s measures against undocumented migrants, who particularly hit agriculture hard. “In some cases we send them back with a legal return permit,” said Trump. “We cannot allow our farmers not to have anyone.” He also said: “You can’t just replace these people. People from the city center do not do this work – they tried it, everyone tried. They don’t do it. Of course, these people do it, of course.”
The president repeated his view and quoted a farmer: “I asked: ‘What happens when you get back pain?’ The farmer said: ‘You don’t get back pain, if you get back pain.’ In many ways, they are very, very special people. “
Despite these words, his government treated migrants, especially agricultural workers, with extreme hardship, according to human rights organizations. Reports speak of deportations to foreign camps without the rule of law and presumed torture. Raids on fields and companies meant that migrants felt like “hunted animals”, as a data subject told The Guardian.
ICE recruitment and farm policy
While Trump claims to take care of the farmers, his government runs an aggressive top -up to the immigration authority ICE. New agents are recruited with bonuses of up to $ 50,000, debt and further incentives.
At the same time, farmers complain about the effects of deportations on their companies. In June, Trump reacted to the pressure of his agricultural supporters and ordered a temporary break of the raids: “We cannot take away all people from the farmers just because they may not have the right papers.”
However, the break was short -lived. A few weeks later, CBS News reported that, according to Minister of Homeland Protection Minister Kristi Noem and Trump’s consultant Stephen Miller, the raids against agricultural workers were massively extended again. Trump now said that he wanted to “work” with farmers, but given his hard line against migrants, a peaceful work perspective for undocumented workers under his leadership appears extremely unlikely.