Trump Watch

Illegal immigrants hold a special position in the US economy because their labor can be exploited more aggressively. Their undocumented status is part of what makes them attractive to employers. It reduces their bargaining power, makes them easier to control, and allows wages and conditions that would not be accepted by legal workers. This creates an ecosystem where illegality is not a bug but a feature. Politicians know this, and many policies reflect that understanding, even if they deny it publicly.

Trump came in and disrupted this system with hardline rhetoric and blunt enforcement. Now, the employers who depend on this labor are pushing back. In response, Trump is starting to soften his stance. His latest statement draws a distinction between long-time undocumented workers and recent arrivals labeled as criminals. He is saying, in effect, that some illegal immigrants are acceptable.

Even if he is not offering legalization, this kind of message still changes the dynamic. If a figure like Trump says a group of undocumented immigrants should be protected, it weakens the threat of deportation for that group. That fear is part of what keeps wages low. So this shift, even if unintended, increases their bargaining power. It could end up helping them integrate and organize, and slowly change their position in the labor market. It is a strange turn for someone whose policies have been based on the opposite idea.