Letter from Michael Stein

Trump Stance Not Good Policy

Donald Trump’s recent, belated “realization” that mass deportations and incarceration of hardworking immigrants would devastate industries like restaurants, hotels, and agriculture isn’t just hypocritical—it’s a glaring example of the inherent racism and ignorance underlying his immigration policies.

For years, Trump and his loyal consiglieri Stephen Miller have demonized immigrants, portraying them as criminals and invaders while simultaneously relying on their labor to sustain key sectors of the economy, including Trump’s numerous holdings in the hospitality industry. Now, faced with the economic consequences of his own rhetoric, he feigns concern for businesses that depend on these very workers.

This isn’t a change of heart; it’s an admission that his anti-immigrant agenda was never about security or fairness—it was about exploiting cheap labor while scapegoating vulnerable people, mainly people of color.

The truth is clear: Trump’s immigration stance has always been rooted in racial animus, not sound policy. If he truly cared about these industries, he would have championed fair, humane immigration reform long ago, perhaps when a bipartisan bill was put before Congress in 2024, and not waited until his political calculations demanded it.

It’s time to call this what it is: a cynical, hypocritical racist ploy that harms both immigrants and the economy. America deserves better than leaders who only value people for their labor when it’s politically convenient.

Michael Stein
Cooperstown
Member, CooperstownOneonta Indivisible