Trump insists ‘no amnesty’ for migrant farmworkers as agriculture secretary floats replacing them with Medicaid recipients

President Trump was adamant Tuesday that illegal immigrant farmworkers will not be granted amnesty – as Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins floated replacing deported laborers with “able-bodied” Medicaid recipients. 

“There’s no amnesty,” Trump said of his plan to support the agriculture industry amid ramped-up efforts to deport illegal migrants. “What we’re doing is we’re getting rid of criminals, but we are doing a work program.”

“We got to give the farmers the people they need, but we’re not talking amnesty,” the president insisted during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. 

Rollins explained that the work program would ensure “farmers have the labor that they need” as the industry moves “automation” and “an American workforce.” 

“No amnesty, mass deportation continue, but in a strategic way,” the agriculture secretary added. 

Earlier Tuesday, Rollins suggested that new Medicaid work requirements included the recently signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act could help farmers replace migrant laborers. 

“There’s been a lot of noise in the last few days and a lot of questions about where the president stands and his vision for farm labor,” Rollins said at a press conference. “Ultimately, the answer on this is automation, also some reform within the current governing structure, and then also, when you think about there are 34 million able-bodied adults in our Medicaid program.” 

“There are plenty of workers in America.”

A controversial provision included in Trump’s massive agenda bill requires able-bodied, childless adults between the ages of 18 and 64 to work at least 80 hours a month to be eligible for Medicaid, which provides health insurance to 70 million low-income Americans.

Individuals can also meet the requirement by ​​participating in community service, going to school or engaging in a work program.

Trump teased a plan that would allow farmers to vouch for migrant farmworkers who may be facing deportation, so that they can remain in the US, during a rally in Iowa last week. 

“You know, they’ve had people working for them for years. And we’re going to do something … we’re going to sort of put the farmers in charge,” Trump told the crowd in the state where agriculture is a major industry.

“If a farmer has been with one of these people that worked so hard – they bend over all day, we don’t have too many people that can do that, but they work very hard, and they know him very well, and some of the farmers are literally, you know, they cry when they see this happen – if a farmer is willing to vouch for these people, in some way … I think we’re going to have to just say that’s going to be good, right?”

“We don’t want to do [border security] where we take all of the workers off the farms,” Trump added. “We want the farms to do great.”