President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that his administration will provide no amnesty for illegal immigrants working in agriculture and service industries, marking a definitive reversal from earlier statements that suggested potential protections for certain migrant workers.
The president’s clarification comes several weeks after he had floated the possibility of providing assurances for specific categories of migrant workers to address concerns from the American farming industry.
Trump’s latest position eliminates any ambiguity about his administration’s immigration stance.
“There’s no amnesty,” Trump stated firmly.
“What we’re doing is we’re getting rid of criminals, but we are doing a work program.”
Agriculture businesses had previously warned the White House about potential economic impacts they could face if they lost access to migrant workers.
These warnings had prompted Trump to initially consider alternatives to deportation for certain categories of workers, per reports and past statements from the president.
Administration officials on Tuesday, however, presented a unified front against providing any form of leniency to immigrant workers currently in the country illegally.
Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins reinforced the president’s position during a press conference Tuesday, stating that mass deportations would continue in a strategic manner.
“There will be no amnesty, the mass deportations