Victor Moran, the CEO of a 1,200-person cleaning company in Maryland, is taking extra precautions when hiring new employees to ensure they are legally authorized to work in the US. Despite these efforts, President Donald Trump’s strict policies on immigration are starting to negatively impact his workforce. According to Moran, about 15 employees have already left his company, Total Quality, since Trump’s victory in stripping temporary protections from immigrants from Venezuela and Nicaragua. If the White House continues to expand its efforts, Moran fears he could lose hundreds more workers who rely on similar work permits that would be difficult to replace.
Similar concerns are being echoed by businesses across the US as Trump’s deportation efforts appear to be gaining momentum, potentially cutting off a crucial source of workers for the US economy. Census data shows that nearly one in five workers in the US are immigrants, a record high since data has been collected. While Trump has stated that he is targeting undocumented immigrants, who make up about 4% of the workforce, his aggressive stance on immigration was a key issue that garnered widespread support during his campaign, including from many Hispanic voters.
Despite legal challenges to many of his policies, Trump’s administration has resumed workplace raids and has taken broader actions such as suspending admissions of refugees and revoking temporary work permits and protections granted by previous presidents. These actions could have significant economic consequences, as they threaten to disrupt the lives of millions of people who have lived and worked in the US for years.
Justino Gomez, a 73-year-old originally from El Salvador who has lived in the US for three decades, is one of many immigrants who are fearful of Trump’s policies. Gomez is authorized to work under a program known as TPS, which grants temporary work permits and protection from deportation based on conditions in immigrants’ home countries. His employment has allowed him to support his family and even send his adopted daughter to school to become a teacher. However, Trump has already taken steps to end the TPS program for people from Haiti and Venezuela, and Gomez fears that El Salvador could be next. He lives in constant fear of being deported and says that even leaving his home to run errands is a stressful experience.
Many businesses are already feeling the impact of Trump’s policies, with some reporting a shortage of workers. Adam Lampert, the CEO of a Texas-based company that provides assisted living and in-home care, says that about 80% of his 350 employees are foreign-born. He believes that it is the immigrants who are answering the call for these jobs, rather than him actively seeking them out. Lampert, like Moran, has already lost some workers due to Trump’s policies and is concerned about the potential ripple effects on his business and the economy as a whole.
Trump has acknowledged the concerns about the economic impact of his policies, but his administration remains committed to their crackdown on immigration. This has led to a slowdown in industries that rely heavily on undocumented workers, such as hospitality and agriculture, and has also caused disruptions in sectors like homebuilding. While the industry is calling for immigration reform, they do not expect any major changes to be made in the near future.