U.S. President Trump says farmworkers may be allowed to remain if vouched-for by farmers
Speaking Thursday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he is considering a policy allowing migrant laborers to remain in the country, provided that farmers who employ them act as guarantors. During his campaign-style remarks, Trump explained that he’s collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security to ease the pressures on crucial agricultural and hospitality sectors suffering labor shortages.
Trump insisted that essential industries such as farming and hotels—where migrant workers are indispensable—should not be crippled by blanket immigration enforcement. “If a farmer is willing to vouch for these people in some way, Kristi [Noem], I think we’re going to have to just say that’s going to be good, right?” he said, referencing the department’s lead, Kristi Noem.
This marks a notable departure from the administration’s previously strict deportation strategy, spearheaded by Noem, which had led to concerns among farmers over depleted crop workforces. Trump emphasised the need for a practical solution, saying: “We don’t want to do it where we take all of the workers off the farms”.
Yet, he acknowledged that this softer approach may not sit well with some of his staunchest supporters. “Now, serious radical right people, who I also happen to like a lot, they may not be quite as happy but they’ll understand,” Trump remarked. Despite the shift in tone, ICE enforcement will continue targeting undocumented individuals without criminal records.
Industry groups have long warned that up to 40% of U.S. farmworkers lack legal status, and mass deportations would severely disrupt food production and supply chains. The president hinted that, under any new plan, farmers and hotel operators would be accountable for ensuring their migrant staff are law-abiding—a means to balance economic necessity with border control.
This latest statement follows earlier commitments in June to issue an executive order protecting agricultural and service workers, though details remain unavailable and insiders report no firm policy changes yet. Still, it underscores a pragmatic shift to accommodate vital sectors reliant on long-serving migrant workers.
Trump has been pursuing a hard-line policy on migration and his U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been leading an effort to deport people who crossed into the United States illegally.
This has led to some complaints from farmers that their crops are at risk due to a depleted work force.
“If a farmer is willing to vouch for these people in some way, Kristi, I think we’re going to have to just say that’s going to be good, right?”
“We don’t want to do it where we take all of the workers off the farms,” he added, speaking in a Midwestern state where farming is a dominant industry.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Steve Holland; Editing by Sandra Maler and Michael Perry)
Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters
Trump says he’s open to migrant farm workers staying in the US
