Joy Reid: Trump’s Alleged Plan—Deport ‘Brown People,’ Reimport as Slave Labor

Joy Reid said on August 7 that President Donald Trump’s 2025 plan is to deport “Brown people” and then bring them back as “slave labor.” Her remarks followed Trump’s comments on CNBC about migrant labor for farms and hotels, including a possible “temporary pass” so workers aren’t picked up by ICE. The White House rejected her claim and said Trump wants a legal workforce with fair pay.

What’s actually in policy now (as of August 8, 2025)

The administration’s core plan centers on mass deportation—up to 1 million removals per year—expanded detention, and new enforcement powers. There is no signed plan to deport migrants and then re-import them as “slave labor.” Still, labor and child protection groups warn that harsh enforcement with few legal pathways raises the risk of coercion and trafficking.

Key actions and elements:
– Mass removals: DHS has a budget request to reach up to 1,000,000 deportations yearly, far above the roughly 330,000 removals in FY2024.
– New law (OBBBA): The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), signed July 4, expands detention (including family detention) and adds billions to ICE funding through 2029.
– Enforcement tools: The administration has invoked the Alien Enemies Act and authorized National Guard and local police support for immigration enforcement.
– Labor access idea: Trump has floated “temporary passes” for agriculture and hospitality, but no formal program exists.

Reid’s argument and the official response

Joy Reid linked Trump’s CNBC remarks to a plan she described as deporting Brown people and then using them as cheap labor, criticizing the comments as dehumanizing.

The White House response:
– Called Reid’s claim false.
– Said the administration’s goal is a legal workforce with protections and fair pay.
– Accused Democrats of fueling exploitation by keeping people in the shadows.

This clash highlights how rhetoric about work and status can have sharp consequences for families facing removal.

Evidence on exploitation risks

• Forced labor warnings: Migrants, especially those without status, face higher risks of coercion. Reports show migrants are several times more likely to experience forced labor than non-migrants.
• Labor trafficking: The National Human Trafficking Hotline received more than 1,500 reports in 2023, with over half involving foreign nationals.
• Child labor: From October 2022 to September 2024, authorities recorded 1,691 cases affecting more than 10,000 minors, including over 800 hazardous work cases.

Stricter enforcement without balanced legal options can increase vulnerability to forced labor and trafficking.

What supporters say

Supporters argue the plan will:
– Protect U.S.-born workers and raise wages.
– End the pull of illegal hiring.
– Provide a legal workforce—potentially via guest worker visas—that meets farm and hotel needs with rules and protections.
– Create order at the border, which they say reduces exploitation.

What critics say

Advocacy groups warn the agenda will:
– Separate families and push people into hidden work.
– Raise the risk of modern slavery.
– Enable abuses through expanded detention, including for families and children.
– Increase racial profiling risks if local police are deputized for immigration enforcement, affecting Brown people including U.S. citizens and long-time residents.

Industry warnings

Agriculture and hospitality leaders caution that mass deportations will harm businesses reliant on immigrant labor:
– Farms: Crops could rot without experienced field workers.
– Hotels/restaurants: Closures, shorter hours, and staffing shortfalls are possible.
– Economic ripple effects: Higher prices and job losses in small towns tied to these industries.

Policy details and notable gaps

• OBBBA funding: The law provides roughly $45 billion through 2029, adding about $11.25 billion per year to detention capacity. Legal groups plan challenges, particularly against indefinite family detention.
• Guest worker talk vs. actual programs: Trump’s “temporary pass” idea is not a formal visa. The U.S. already has programs like H-2A (seasonal farm work) and H-2B (seasonal non-farm roles), but those:
  • Are not equivalent to a deport-and-return system.
  • Often fall short of demand and depend on employer compliance to prevent abuses (source: VisaVerge.com).
• No “deport and re-import” system: There is no law or program that removes people only to bring them back for lower-wage work. Nonetheless, stricter enforcement without balanced legal options makes exploitation more likely.

Table — Key policy elements at a glance

How this affects families and communities

• Mixed-status households: U.S. citizen children may face parental detention or removal, causing trauma and caregiving gaps.
• Workers with pending cases: Fear of contact with services may deter victims of crime or wage theft from seeking help.
• Small businesses: Sudden workforce losses (e.g., losing half a crew) can delay projects and risk contract penalties.

Practical guidance for at-risk workers and families

1. Know your rights
   • You have the right to remain silent and the right to ask for a lawyer.
   • Do not open the door unless officers show a judge-signed warrant listing your name and address.
2. Keep documents ready
   • Store copies of IDs, receipts from immigration court, and contact information for a trusted person.
   • Keep receipt numbers for any filed forms.
3. Seek legal help
   • If you’re a victim of a serious crime and cooperated with police, ask about a U visa.
   • Victims of trafficking may qualify for T status.
   • If you fear harm in your home country, ask about asylum.
   • Official updates and forms are on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and USCIS websites.
4. Report exploitation
   • If a boss withholds pay, threatens deportation, or locks you in, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

Quotes that frame the debate

• Trump on workers: “We’re taking care of our farmers. We can’t let our farmers not have anybody… these people… you can’t replace them very easily.”
• Reid on intent: She claimed the plan is to deport Brown people and bring them back as “the perfect nearly slave labor.”
• White House reply: Reid’s claim is false; the goal is a legal workforce with fair pay and protections.

What to watch next

• Court challenges to OBBBA, especially around indefinite family detention and military support in enforcement.
• Whether the administration moves from talk to action on any new guest worker tool, and whether safeguards against abuse are included.
• Labor market impacts in agriculture, hospitality, construction, and childcare — and whether employers press for legal hiring channels if removals increase.

Bottom line

• There is a real push for mass deportation and expanded detention with bigger budgets and broader enforcement.
• There is no formal policy to deport people and then bring them back as “slave labor.” However, forced-labor risks rise when safe, legal options are limited.
• If you or someone you know is at risk:
  • Talk to a licensed immigration lawyer.
  • Use official forms only (e.g., asylum seekers file Form I-589 with USCIS).
  • Document everything, stay informed, and seek help early.