If you think that politicians are stopping Trump’s deportation of illegal immigrants is because of human rights, I think you are too naive. 

Let me tell you exactly what is going on and why are the politicians using human rights, families to resist this deportation motion.

Let me be clear from the start. I believe people should enter the country legally and I think what Trump did was right. 

Numbers of immigrants 

Before we dive in, you need to understand the scale we’re dealing with here.

According to Pew Research Center, around 11 million undocumented immigrants were living in the U.S. as of 2022. Of those, about 8.3 million were working. Some experts think it’s even higher, maybe 10 million workers, which would be around 6% of America’s entire workforce.

Where are they working? Construction sites. Farms. Restaurants. The industries that quite literally keep America running.

What happens if illegal immigrants are deported 

Here’s the ripple effect:

Without undocumented workers, labor costs would skyrocket. That means either businesses raise their prices, or they eat the cost and watch their profits disappear. Many would simply close their doors.

Sure, this would open up jobs for American citizens and probably boost wages. But here’s the million-dollar question: Are you willing to pay more for it?

Imagine you’re buying a $500,000 house. Would you happily pay an extra $50,000 (that’s 10% more) so your fellow Americans can have those jobs?

Be honest with yourself. Most people wouldn’t.

Even the government benefits

Now here’s something that might shock you: the government has a massive financial interest in keeping things exactly as they are.

Why? Because undocumented immigrants pay taxes. A lot of taxes.

In 2022 alone, they paid $100 billion to the U.S. government. Let me put that in perspective, that’s enough money to create 1.3 million new jobs if invested in infrastructure.

But here’s the kicker: unlike regular taxpayers, undocumented immigrants don’t get much back. They can’t access most public benefits. They’re paying into a system they can barely use.

From the government’s perspective, this is essentially free money.

But how do the illegal immigrants even pay taxes

Good question. Many undocumented workers end up using stolen identities to get employed. When that happens, taxes get withheld from their paychecks just like anyone else.

To the IRS, it might look like someone has two jobs. Both employers send in payroll taxes, and the government collects from both.

They also pay property taxes indirectly through rent and contribute through everyday spending.

What happens if millions of workers suddenly disappear? 

Chaos.

Businesses would face immediate labor shortages. Labor costs would explode. Inflation, which we just got under control, would shoot back up. Do you think the people responsible for keeping inflation low want that?

Companies that can’t pass costs to consumers would go under. Unemployment would spike. Tax revenues would drop. And all of this would happen while we’re also dealing with new tariff policies.

It’s a perfect economic storm.

It is hard for politicians to do anything to stop it

So with all these consequences, what’s the political upside to mass deportations?

Honestly? There isn’t much of one.

Politicians will say whatever keeps voters happy. But behind closed doors, most of them know the system is too embedded in the US economy to rip out without serious pain.

And let’s be real, some of their biggest donors are probably the biggest users of undocumented labor.

Why fix a problem today when you can kick it down the road and enjoy being in office?

The truth about labour shortages

Here’s where things get interesting.

You’ve probably heard this before: “We hire undocumented workers because we can’t find anyone else to do these jobs.”

That’s not the full story.

The real reason? Companies don’t want to pay what it would take to attract legal workers. It’s not that Americans won’t pick apples or work construction, it’s that they won’t do it for the wages being offered.

Think about it this way: If I offered you $1 million to pick apples for a month, would you do it? Of course you would. Heck, you’d probably have people lining up around the block.

Labor shortages aren’t the root problem. Low wages are. The shortage is just the symptom.

My final take

Look, everyone has skin in this game. Homebuyers want affordable prices. Businesses want cheap labor. The government wants tax revenue without having to pay out benefits.

Yes, the economy would take a hit if we enforced immigration laws strictly. Some businesses would fail. 

But I still think it’s important that everyone plays by the rules. Legal businesses that do things the right way are being punished by competing against those who don’t.

The question is, are people willing to pay the price for doing things legally?