U.S. companies with immigrant workers brace for Trump’s mass deportation plan
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — With Donald Trump promising workplace raids and mass deportations, the Texas construction and agriculture sectors face disruption as nearly a quarter of its workforce consists of undocumented workers.
Stan Marek, CEO of Houston-based Marek Brothers Co., recalled the devastating impact of a 2012 ICE audit that forced him to terminate long-term employees who had established lives in America. Now, Marek fears another wave of upheaval for his workforce.
“They all had American-born kids. They all had houses. They had realized the American dream,” Marek told Bloomberg.
Economic ripple effects
Trump’s plans, including appointing former ICE director Thomas Homan as border czar, aim to prioritize American workers by targeting undocumented labor.
The potential enforcement of stricter immigration policies could severely impact Texas’s rapid growth and development. Laura Collins, director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative, emphasized the state’s critical need for construction workers.
“This is a state that has for the last several years grown very rapidly. We know we need people here to build,” said Collins.
Broader impacts on agriculture and beyond
Agriculture faces similar threats. Although special visas exist for seasonal workers, the process is costly and cumbersome, especially for small farms.
“If you don’t have those workers, some of your favorite fruit and vegetable items are going to be more expensive, or they’re just going to be really hard to find,” said Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association. “Either way, it’s a travesty.”
Businesses and advocacy groups are moving quickly to protect their workers. Efforts include encouraging eligible workers to apply for citizenship or renew visas. “It’s a lot of just trying to mitigate harm,” said Chelsie Kramer of the American Immigration Council.
Despite fears, some experts question whether Trump will fully execute his plans, citing the high costs of mass deportations. Still, the uncertainty leaves workers like Kingsley, a Nigerian asylum-seeker in New York City, grappling with anxiety.
“Many people didn’t just leave their country by choice,” he said. “They are running away from something that is going to cost them their lives.”
