The Republican mayor of McAllen, Texas is risking the wrath of President-elect Donald Trump by criticizing his mass deportation plan.
ABC affiliate WFAA aired an interview with Mayor Javier Villalobos on Sunday where he warned that deporting millions of undocumented immigrants – as Trump has pledged – could wreak havoc on the U.S. economy.
Villalobos said that a mass deportation wouldn’t likely have a severe impact on McAllen because most border crossers head to places where they can be paid more for jobs.
But he suggested the plan could have an impact more broadly.
‘I think it if were to happen, I think we’re going to have issues with our economy,’ Villalobos said.
Villalobos pushed that the country needed immigrant labor.
‘Look, I’ve always said it, there’s a lot of people that can be very productive and we should try to help them come here and produce for us and assist their families,’ the Republican mayor said.
‘Now, if it’s people that have issues, criminal or otherwise, then we definitely don’t want that. But there’s a lot of people that I know can help us, that can help our economy stay strong,’ he added.
The Republican mayor of McAllen, Texas Javier Villalobos told a Dallas-based ABC affiliate that he’s concerned President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan could hurt the U.S. economy
Trump has said deportation efforts would first be focused on illegal immigrants with criminal records but has also pledged for it to be the biggest mass deportation in history – meaning workers could be kicked out of the country as well.
‘The work ethic of the American people is not what it used to be. And a lot of the time, these immigrants are the ones that assist,’ Villalobos argued. ‘And I’ve seen it over and over again … I have also always said that we need immigrants, that we need people to come and support their families and assist our economy.’
Villalobos’ comments are similar to points DOGE co-leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy made when they advocated for the H-1B visa program – which allow skilled laborers, like computer engineers, into the U.S.
Musk and Ramaswamy’s stance angered the traditional MAGA base, including Trump’s longtime political adviser Steve Bannon, who believe those jobs should be reserved for Americans first.
Villalobos’ comments, however, applied to more low-skilled workers.
He also urged Trump to not implement the tariffs he’s threatened on Mexico and Canada.
‘Our economy, especially post-COVID, has been tremendous,’ the GOP mayor said. ‘A lot of it has to do with importing and exporting. If it were to be reduced, it wouldn’t just affect here because many goods are shipped out, both south and north. It’s going to affect everybody.’
President-elect Donald Trump wants to pull off the largest deportation in American history, which would kick out undocumented workers, as well as criminals. Villalobos warned that could hurt the U.S. economy
Villalobos also said that McAllen has been in good shape for awhile because NGOs deal with the city’s border crossers.
He warned that if the federal government instructed NGOs to stop working with undocumented immigrants it could be a major ‘burden’ on his community.
‘My biggest concern is the attack right now on NGOs, and whether we’re going to be funded to assist the federal government,’ Villalobos said. ‘So if they stay the way they are, we’re OK.’
‘I mean, here in McAllen, we’ve been OK for a long time,’ Villalobos added. ‘However depends on what’s going to happen with a new administration.’