In tug-of-war on immigration, business leaders should pull Trump to their side | Opinion

If you’re having trouble keeping track of the Trump administration’s priorities on immigration, you’re not alone.

One minute, ICE agents are executing mass deportations, often with harsh tactics, seemingly with no rhyme or reason. The next, administration officials are talking about a more-targeted effort to avoid hurting certain industries and sweeping up hard-working migrants who, while here illegally, have committed no other offense.

And after that, President Donald Trump weighs in publicly. As recently as June 17, he stressed the need to crack down in cities, and orders for agents to ease up on restaurants, farms and hotels were seemingly reversed.

The whiplash is probably the result of a clash between hard-liners in Trump’s orbit and business leaders — important Republican donors, remember — who fear they won’t be able to function without labor they’ve relied on for so long.

But confusion can be an opportunity, too. It’s time for more business and economic leaders to step up and urge the president to focus on the most urgent cases. That means wanted or convicted criminals and those with pending deportation orders. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, a Texan, has reportedly broached the subject on behalf of farmers. She needs help from others, such as Ross Perot Jr., the Dallas-Fort Worth business titan now leading the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

It’s not the first time there’s been this kind of tug-of-war in among Trump aides and supporters. Before his second term began, a public spat over H-1B visas broke out. Immigration hard-liners wanted them curtailed, but tech industry titans such as Elon Musk won Trump over, noting their reliance on such visas to bring in talented engineers.

TRUMP CAN WIN OVER PUBLIC WITH TARGETED IMMIGRATION TACTICS

In the latest debate, someone should tell Trump that it can be an 80-20 issue in his favor. Public sentiment for extensive deportations is high. Drill down,though, and most Americans don’t want hard-working immigrants who stay out of trouble sent away, especially if it means breaking up families. They understand the need for labor, especially acute in industries such as agriculture, construction and hospitality — all of which are vital to Texas’ booming economy.

Besides, Trump is more likely to respond to an appeal focused on preventing economic disruption rather than an emotional or compassionate one.

Consider what business leaders are up against. Trump aides such as White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, seem to relish making immigration raids frequent and random. The idea appears, in part, to be deterring more attempted illegal immigration and encouraging some of those already here to avoid risk and “self-deport.” And it’s harder for moderates to prevail when zealots such as Tarrant County Republican Party Chairman Bo French call for taking down violent protesters with snipers.

The most effective imagery to combat that is, for example, the Nebraska meatpacker that saw half its workforce removed by ICE, and much of the rest afraid to return to work after that. Tell Americans that there are illegal workers in the abstract and they support aggressive deportations. Tell them the cost of bacon and ground beef will rise — and more might have to be imported — and they’ll think better of focused efforts and compromise.

Voters have long been roughly in the middle on illegal immigration. The huge numbers of people allowed to enter and stay under President Joe Biden tipped them toward security. The idea of public benefits for those workers angers many. But straight talk about the cost and availability of housing or whether their favorite local restaurant can stay open will give them a more realistic sense of the choices ahead.

BEST IMMIGRATION POLICY: TIGHT BORDERS, KEEP VITAL WORKERS

The best solution has always been right in front of us: Lock down the borders. Keep needed workers and allow legal immigration based on the needs of the American economy and workforce. Be kind to children who are blameless for their circumstances. Make citizenship or permanent residence a brass ring that is hard to grasp but realistically reachable.

The U.S. economy has proved resilient, even in the face of sometimes-daily uncertainty about tariffs and tax policy. The shortage of workers is real. The Texas Restaurant Association recently noted that nearly half of restaurant operators in the state say they are short of the number of workers they need, along with facing supply costs that are up 35% since 2019.

The government can balance being tough on immigration and giving the economy what it needs. The right people need to remind the president of that.

This story was originally published June 19, 2025 at 5:37 AM.