Tensions are rising inside the MAGA movement as Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins faces growing backlash from grassroots conservatives who believe she may be quietly working toward amnesty for illegal aliens working on U.S. farms — despite official denials.
On the surface, Rollins has remained firm. Appearing Thursday on Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria, she declared, “This president has been resolute on no amnesty, mass deportation.” She pointed instead to the H-2A visa program, which allows temporary agricultural laborers, as the administration’s preferred path forward. “The president’s heart is with the farmers,” Rollins said, “but it does not include amnesty.”
But her reassurances haven’t convinced key figures within the MAGA movement.
Adding fuel to the fire are recent statements from President Trump himself, who seems to be signaling a more flexible stance than what Rollins is suggesting.
At a campaign stop in Iowa, Trump said, “If a farmer is willing to vouch for these people in some way, I think we’re going to have to just say that’s going to be good, right? We don’t want to do it where we take all of the workers off the farms.”
And last month on Truth Social, Trump acknowledged concerns from farmers and hospitality leaders that his aggressive deportation policies were costing them longtime workers:
“Our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long-time workers away from them…That is not good. Changes are coming!”
Those “changes” have stirred anxiety among the most devoted elements of Trump’s base — the very coalition that helped drive him back into the White House.
Former White House adviser and War Room host Steve Bannon has been vocal about his opposition to any policy hinting at mass amnesty. But the loudest warning yet came from Charlie Kirk, head of Turning Point USA, who claims powerful forces are lobbying Trump to abandon mass deportation.
“Literally the day before President Donald Trump was signing the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’ I got a couple phone calls… They said, ‘Now, we need mass amnesty,’” Kirk said on his July 7 podcast.
Kirk didn’t mince words:
“If you want to break our coalition, go and push amnesty. That right there would be a complete collapse of everything we have worked for.”
