Trump says there will be ‘temporary pass’ for migrant farm, hotel workers

President Trump said that there will be a temporary pass issued for migrants working at farms and in the hospitality industry to allow employers to have more control after the administration sent mixed messages about exceptions in its mass deportation efforts.

Trump was asked on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo about his recent remarks suggesting the administration will ease up on the deportation of people working at farms and hotels.

“I don’t back away,” he said. “What I do have, I cherish our farmers. And when we go into a farm and we take away people that have been working there for 15 and 20 years, who were good, who possibly came in incorrectly. And what we’re going to do is we’re going to do something for farmers where we can let the farmer sort of be in charge. The farmer knows he’s not going to hire a murderer.”

Trump said he wants to support farmers and that the administration will establish a program to allow a pass for migrant workers in the industry.

“But you know, when you go into a farm and you set somebody working with them for nine years doing this kind of work, which is hard work to do and a lot of people aren’t going to do it, and you end up destroying a farmer because you took all the people away — it’s a problem. You know, I’m on both sides of the thing. I’m the strongest immigration guy that there’s ever been, but I’m also the strongest farmer guy that there’s ever been, and that includes also hotels and, you know, places where people work, a certain group of people work,” the president added.

He continued, “We’re working on it right now. We’re going to work it so that, some kind of a temporary pass, where people pay taxes, where the farmer can have a little control as opposed to you walk in and take everybody away.”

Trump earlier in the month acknowledged concerns among the agriculture and hospitality industries that his administration’s immigration enforcement was taking away workers key to those businesses.

His acknowledgment led to a pause in enforcement at farms, hotels and other locations, but days later, the administration seemed to reverse course.

Border czar Tom Homan told reporters the administration would “continue to do worksite enforcement operations, even on farms and hotels, but based on a prioritized basis.”

Days later, Trump told reporters that he was still exploring ways to help farmers.

“We’re looking at doing something where, in the case of good reputable farmers, they can take responsibility for the people that they hire and let them have responsibility because we can’t put the farms out of business,” the president recently said.