In a masterclass of self-sabotage, ICE has cranked up workplace raids under the Trump administration, targeting industries that depend on undocumented labor, you know, the ones keeping the economy afloat. This isn’t just a chilling display of power, with racial profiling and demands for papers; it’s also a spectacularly shortsighted disruption to productivity and the backbone of society.
Take the recent early-morning raids in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington restaurants, part of a broader operation targeting so-called “criminal migrants.” The result? Dozens detained, detention centers scrambling for space, and the administration flexing its enforcement muscles in what amounts to a tantrum disguised as policy.
But the fact that ICE is raiding workplaces proves undocumented immigrants aren’t sitting around doing nothing. They’re the backbone of industries like agriculture, construction, and hospitality. In New York State alone, about 42,300 undocumented restaurant workers and 48,500 undocumented construction workers are keeping the state’s economy afloat. So much for the “drain on society” narrative that the current administration is trying to ram down our throats.
Financially speaking, undocumented immigrants are the opposite of freeloaders. In 2022 alone, they paid a jaw-dropping $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes — money funding public services they rarely get to use. If they were granted work authorization, their tax contributions would increase by $40.2 billion annually, reaching a total of $136.9 billion. In other words, they’re baking the pie for your July 4th picnic while being told they can’t have a slice.
But mass deportation isn’t just evil, it’s irrational. Let’s play Trump’s dream scenario: deport every undocumented worker tomorrow. What happens? Entire industries collapse. Around 50-70 percent of hired farmworkers are undocumented. In California, immigrants make up over 80 percent of the agricultural workforce. The dairy industry? Say goodbye to half of its workers. Without these people, food prices would skyrocket, supply chains would snap, and farms would rot. Deporting them isn’t just cruel, it’s economic suicide.
The most infuriating part? People voted for Trump to lower egg prices, but his raids are poised to do the exact opposite. A study by the Peterson Institute predicts mass deportation will hike food prices by 10 percent. By obsessing over mass deportations, his administration is causing labor shortages that are driving food prices through the roof. So, congratulations to Trump voters, you wanted cheaper eggs, but all you’re getting is omelets becoming a luxury item.
Let’s be clear: the people orchestrating these raids aren’t tough — they’re scared. And worse, they’re manipulative. Instead of tackling real immigration reform or holding billionaires accountable, they’re throwing tantrums and blaming immigrants for problems caused by the oligarchs sitting front row at the inauguration, who don’t even pay their taxes. These raids aren’t about enforcing the law or protecting American jobs; they’re about pandering to a base that’s been tricked into punching down instead of looking up.
If the Trump administration actually cared about fixing the economy, they’d start by admitting the people they’re deporting are the ones holding it together.
Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist and international bestselling author. Plank regularly appears on national and international television programs to provide a perspective on politics, gender issues, and reproductive rights, including The TODAY Show, The Daily Show, MSNBC, CNN, ABC News, Fusion, Al-Jazeera America, and BBC World.
This piece originally appeared in Liz Plank’s substack Airplane Mode, which you can subscribe to here.
