Republican Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio is making an unusual appeal to President Donald Trump: let immigrants stay. More specifically, DeWine, who has endorsed Trump three times and even supported his presidential campaigns, is now pleading with the president to rethink policies targeting immigrants who are living and working in Ohio. The Ohio governor’s appeal has since drawn criticism.
“We need some immigrants to come in here,” DeWine said on Wednesday, arguing that Ohio’s economy depends on foreign-born workers. Rather than challenging Trump’s crackdown on the southern border outright, DeWine is presenting the president with an argument he believes could resonate with him: Trump has political credibility on illegal immigration and could use it to pursue changes to the legal system.
DeWine pointed particularly to Ohio’s workforce needs, including long-term care facilities that rely heavily on foreign-born employees. He warned that removing large numbers of workers who are raising families, paying taxes, and contributing to their communities would hurt the state.
DeWine’s argument is fundamentally economic. Foreign-born workers make up significant portions of several Ohio industries, while immigrants have also helped reverse population losses in parts of the state. DeWine said immigrants accounted for roughly 60 percent of Ohio’s population growth over the past decade.
In a recent New York Times opinion piece, DeWine described immigrants as an important component of Ohio’s economic future and specifically credited Haitians with helping Springfield recover economically. Hence, Joe Cimperman, CEO of Global Cleveland and Ohio immigration advocate, summed up Ohio’s situation: “Whether you like it or not, immigrants are good for business.”
People online are slamming DeWine
DeWine has not received a response from the Trump administration to his latest appeal at the time of writing. His pleas have meanwhile generated a wave of online reactions, particularly because of his long-standing support for Trump. “These are the words of a man who understands almost nothing about Donald Trump,” one Reddit user wrote.
Another commenter mocked the governor’s position, even calling it begging, “I need them so make an exception for me please.” Some also poked fun at the governor’s disposition, “It’s a problem when it impacts meeeee,” another wrote. Others took a more economic view, arguing that immigrants are crucial to industries that depend on a steady supply of workers.
DeWine’s message is unlikely to end the broader immigration fight. But coming from one of Trump’s Republican allies, his warning, for many, could signify a growing tension within the GOP: the political demand for tougher immigration enforcement versus the economic dependence of many states on immigrant workers.
