When ICE ramped up enforcement, US‑born workers didn’t see any economic gains

Photo: Housing construction – November 2, 2019. Photo credit: Gilbert Mercier via Flickr. CC BY 4.0 (no modifications). Article by Chloe N. East and Elizabeth Cox. The Conversation – May 29, 2026.

President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to strengthen the labor market. His immigration platform – including a pledge to conduct the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history – was central to that promise. “For too long, Washington ignored how mass illegal immigration artificially suppressed wages, hurting working-class Americans – especially young men,” wrote Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on X in July 2025. “But under President Trump, we now have a secure border, a blue-collar wage boom, and major investments from trade deals.” […]

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