President Trump said Sunday that his administration will issue a “temporary pass” for undocumented migrants working in agriculture and hospitality—signaling a notable exception to his otherwise hardline immigration policies. The announcement comes after confusion over how Trump’s renewed deportation push would affect long-term workers in sectors that rely heavily on migrant labor.
Speaking with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Trump defended the move when asked about whether he was backing away from mass deportations. “I don’t back away,” he said. “But I do cherish our farmers. When we go into a farm and take away people who’ve been working there for 15, 20 years—good people, who maybe came in the wrong way—it ends up hurting the farmer more than anyone.”
Trump emphasized that the new approach would give employers, like farmers and hotel owners, more say over who stays. “The farmer knows he’s not going to hire a murderer,” he said. “They know who these workers are. They’ve been part of their business for years.”
The president explained that a new system is being developed to grant these workers a form of temporary legal status—one that would require them to pay taxes and allow employers limited control over their employment, rather than risk sudden removals by immigration authorities. “It’s hard work,” Trump said. “A lot of people won’t do it. And when you destroy a farm by taking away all the workers, you’re creating a bigger problem.”
He added that the same logic applies to the hospitality industry, where many migrants work in hotels and related jobs. “I’m the toughest guy on immigration there’s ever been,” Trump said, “but I’m also the strongest supporter of farmers and American business.”
The move has drawn comparisons to the kind of immigration carve-outs President Biden has made in the past—something Trump’s critics and supporters alike are pointing out. While Trump continues to call for strict border control and mass deportations, this “temporary pass” approach signals a pragmatic pivot—one that echoes Biden’s selective relief strategies for certain groups, especially in labor-heavy industries.
Earlier this month, Trump acknowledged growing concern from business owners that sweeping immigration enforcement was threatening entire sectors of the economy. The agriculture and hospitality industries have warned that losing long-term migrant workers would devastate operations, especially during peak seasons.
Trump insisted that his administration is working on a solution 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 just walking in and taking everybody away,” he said.
