Commentator Batya Ungar-Sargon pointed to the January jobs report as evidence that immigration enforcement under President Trump is reshaping the labor market, arguing that tighter border controls are benefiting American workers.

“The January jobs report is out, and it is lit the US economy added 130,000 jobs last month,” Ungar-Sargon said.

She added, “Unemployment is down, and the average American’s weekly paycheck is up 2% since President Trump took office, outpacing inflation by about $1,200.”

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According to Ungar-Sargon, the improvement is not accidental.

“Trump’s economy is starting to deliver and the secret sauce is actually not a secret,” she said.

She tied the gains directly to deportation efforts.

“Turns out, when you deport 500,000 illegal migrants and 2 million follow voluntarily, companies have to hire Americans,” she said.

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Ungar-Sargon argued that both parties previously contributed to labor market distortions.

“For decades, the elites in both parties shipped good, high paying manufacturing jobs to China,” she said.

She continued, “and then imported millions of migrants to compete for working class jobs here.”

She said the trend intensified under former President Biden.

“That absolutely turbo charged under President Biden, who stopped any form of border enforcement and allowed 15 million illegal migrants to stream into the country,” she said.

Ungar-Sargon questioned the motive behind those policies.

“Why did he do it?” she asked. “Because the Democrats’ base is the rich and educated people who want access to cheap labor.”

She rejected the claim that illegal migrants fill jobs Americans refuse to take.

“The left likes to claim that illegal migrants do jobs Americans won’t do,” she said.

“But not a single industry in America has more than a 31% share of illegal labor. Not one,” she added.

Ungar-Sargon accused Democrats of siding with business interests.

“The left supports open borders because the Democrats represent the ownership class,” she said.

She added, “which has been lining its pockets with the stolen wages of their working-class neighbors.”

She then pointed to prior statements from Democratic officials about border security.

“Of course, throughout the Biden years, the Democrats denied that the border was open,” she said.

Video clips showed Rep. Ayanna Pressley saying, “No doubt about it, our border is secure.”

Then–White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated, “We agree that the border is secure.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris said, “We have a secure border in that that is a priority for any nation, including ours and our administration.”

Ungar-Sargon argued that Democratic rhetoric shifted after President Trump won the 2024 election.

“That was, of course, memory holed when President Trump won the 2024 election,” she said.

She continued, “and the Democrats realized that their open border was a loser at the polls.”

Ungar-Sargon said Democrats then attempted to recalibrate their message.

“They started to say that, obviously, we should have a secure border. Both parties want that,” she said.

“But you can’t deport people who came here illegally,” she added.

She said the position shifted again as public opinion became clearer.

“And when it became clear that actually the American people support mass deportations,” she said.

“They changed tack again.”

“Now they say that some tiny amount of people can be deported, the worst of the worst, but no one else,” she said.

She added, “and certainly not anybody undercutting American workers in the labor force.”

Democratic officials have criticized deportation efforts in recent remarks.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said, “His agents are arresting dishwashers, gardeners, day laborers ,and seamstresses.”

Sen. Dick Durbin said, “Day laborers, vendors, construction worker,s and cooks simply trying to work hard make a living and support their families.”

He asked, “Does that sound like we’re getting rid of the worst of the worst?”

Rep. Jasmine Crockett addressed the economic impact of immigration enforcement.

“The reason you’re not going to be able to afford your food is because of these failed immigration policies,” Crockett said.

She added, “And the same can go for the hospitality industries, where we have so many of those in the hospitality industry that are saying they do not have the workers that they need right now.”

Ungar-Sargon concluded by framing the dispute as one centered on labor costs.

“What they are admitting when they say that is that the Democrats want to end the deportations for the same reason that Trump is doing them,” she said.

“Because illegal migrants make labor cheaper,” she added.

She rejected the argument that Americans will not take certain jobs.

“Jobs Americans won’t do was always code for jobs the elites would rather die than do,” she said.

She listed examples: “like cleaning toilets, caring for the elderly or driving trucks.”

She said those positions once paid competitive wages.

“Jobs which used to pay a dignified wage to millions of working-class Americans until they were replaced with illegal labor,” she said.

Ungar-Sargon concluded, “It was always just rank contempt for hard work from those who can’t imagine doing it.”

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