On Thanksgiving, several liberal figures urged conservatives and President-elect Donald Trump supporters to express gratitude to illegal immigrants for their role in harvesting and packing the food enjoyed during the holiday. Former Obama Housing & Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro encouraged everyone, especially Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters, to acknowledge the undocumented immigrants who contributed to their Thanksgiving meals.
However, Castro's message faced criticism from some who questioned the connection between migrants in urban areas and food production. Others labeled the remarks as racially charged assumptions about farmworkers. In contrast, some individuals expressed thanks for Tom Homan, Trump's incoming border czar.
During an interview, Rep. Robert Garcia of California discussed the significant presence of noncitizen farmworkers in the U.S. agricultural sector. The host highlighted a 5% decrease in Thanksgiving costs from the previous year and raised concerns about the potential impact of Trump's deportation policies on agricultural workers.
Garcia echoed these concerns, emphasizing the essential role of immigrant labor in the American economy. He criticized Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric and warned against the negative consequences of mass deportations on both the economy and families dependent on immigrant workers.
Actor John Fugelsang drew parallels between undocumented immigrants and the Wampanoag Native Americans who provided assistance to the pilgrims, suggesting a historical precedent for supporting marginalized groups. A meme circulating online humorously depicted Thanksgiving as a celebration of Americans feeding undocumented immigrants from Europe, referencing the interactions between Native Americans and early settlers.
