Donald Trump’s presidency and policies are primed to have a much larger—and potentially detrimental—impact on the fashion industry than originally anticipated.
Since swearing in as president less than two weeks ago, Trump has moved quickly to instill fear in other countries—including U.S. allies like Canada and Mexico—particularly through threats of increased tariffs and mass deportations.
In one recent example, Trump sent planes full of Latin American migrants to Colombia, fulfilling his repeated campaign promise to deport undocumented immigrants en masse. However, as the military flights were en route, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that the country would refuse to accept the deportees.
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Trump quickly took to the unofficial MAGA social media platform Truth Social (owned by Trump Media & Technology Group), demanding that Petro take back the deportees or face heavy duties and sanctions. He then threatened to impose an immediate 25 percent “emergency” tariff on all goods coming into the United States, which would rise to 50 percent within a week. In addition, Colombian government officials and their counterparts would face travel bans, visa revocations and financial sanctions.
Backed into a corner, Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo, soon after told reporters at a press conference that the U.S. and the South American nation had “overcome the impasse.”
While Trump may view his act against Colombia as a victory, his tactics could backfire, especially if they continue to disrupt the flow of immigrant labor crucial to keeping key industries running in the U.S.
To put it into perspective, undocumented immigrants make up a significant portion of the U.S. workforce, with an estimated 8.3 million (or about 5.2 percent of the total labor force) working across various sectors like construction (1.5 million), restaurants (1 million) and agriculture (320,000), according to the Center for Migration Studies.
However, while industries like construction and agriculture often dominate discussions about immigrant labor, the apparel sector is equally reliant on it. In fact, a 2005 report by Pew Research Center found that 26 percent of apparel workers were undocumented. By 2024, that number has slightly decreased to 23.1 percent (roughly 120,000 workers) but still represents a significant portion of the workforce.
“If you look at different markets and industries [like fashion], those jobs won’t be easily replaced. I mean, between 15 to 30 percent of the workforce in any industry will be affected by this because undocumented immigrants have such a large role everywhere,” said Nikki Mehrpoo, professor of law at West Los Angeles College and former partner at Pearlman, Brown & Wax, LLP, where she specialized in workers’ compensation and immigration law. “Imagine waking up one morning as a business owner, going to work, and realizing that your workforce is slowly disappearing. It’s disheartening, and that’s the path we’re heading down.”
One common argument from supporters of deportation policies is that immigrants are “stealing jobs” from U.S. citizens—a claim frequently made by Trump. Michelle-Marie Heineman, CEO of the luxury lifestyle brand Old Fashioned Mom LLC, also echoed this sentiment, telling Sourcing Journal that “Trump’s mass deportation plan will enforce immigration laws, put American workers first and create a more legal workforce.”
However, recent data from Pew Research suggests that three-quarters of voters believe undocumented immigrants fill jobs that citizens don’t want, while only 61 percent say the same about legal immigrants.
“To those who claim immigrants are taking American jobs, I don’t want to see what kind of economy we’d have if we let those actions play out,” said Mehrpoo. “[Getting rid of immigrants] won’t fix the disruptions to the economy or address the potential long-term changes that are coming. And what they fail to realize is that businesses will have to consider AI alternatives. These technological solutions will advance, but as jobs disappear, there won’t be any replacements available. If you take away a workforce, businesses will have to find new solutions quickly that will be costly with their own set of consequences.”
As Mehrpoo pointed out, removing immigrants from the workforce won’t address the deeper economic issues at play. In fact, undocumented immigrants already make significant contributions to the U.S. economy, paying nearly $76 billion in taxes and earning a combined income of $330 billion in 2022 alone, according to the American Immigration Council.
So, if a large portion of these workers are removed from the supply chain, the U.S. could face several economic challenges, according to Melissa Roth Mendez, former global vice president of brand protection at Burberry and founder of MRM Brand Advisory LLC.
Mendez, who obtained a law degree from Cardozo School of Law, noted that removing workers, particularly through deportation, sets off a chain reaction of negative consequences. For example, labor shortages would likely “drive up wages” as businesses compete for a smaller pool of workers, pushing production costs higher, which may ultimately be passed on to consumers. Adding fuel to the fire, the removal of experienced workers disrupts established production processes, decreasing productivity and efficiency.
This is particularly troubling as many industries, including apparel, will require immigrant labor well into the 21st century, especially as an increased number of U.S. citizen workers retire and birth rates drop, the Center for Migration Studies noted, adding that the last time there was a dip in undocumented immigrant workers (around 2 million between 2019 and 2021, the height of the Covid-19 pandemic) there was “detrimental impact” on the economy.
“As demand for skilled labor outpaces supply, companies may also face increased training costs for new employees, further driving up expenses,” Mendez said. “This combined wage inflation and disruption, coupled with tariff-induced material cost increases, could lead to significantly higher prices for consumers, impacting the overall affordability of goods in the fashion industry.”
Fear grips L.A. workers
One city set to be heavily impacted by the apparel labor shortage is Los Angeles, the largest hub for apparel manufacturing in the U.S.
According to the 2023 State of Immigrants (SOILA) report, there were over 800,000 undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles County alone, working across several industries including construction, manufacturing and, of course, wholesale and retail trade.
With immigrant workers at the heart of L.A.’s garment industry, the threat of mass deportations and shifting immigration policies is causing widespread anxiety, leaving many workers “afraid to leave their homes,” according to Marissa Nuncio, director at The Garment Worker Center, a worker rights organization based in Downtown L.A.’s Fashion District.
“What these types of immigration policies do—and what the [Trump administration] is doing—is creating a tremendous level of fear in the workforce and in immigrant communities. We’re hearing it firsthand from our members—the fear, the confusion about policies and the anxiety about how this will impact them,” said Nuncio. “Immigrants have rights, and it’s crucial that we’re helping workers understand how to use those rights so they can feel as comfortable as possible going about their lives.”
To help alleviate some of the fear among garment workers in L.A., The Garment Worker Center is hosting several initiatives, including family preparedness training to ensure that if a loved one is detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the family is “prepared with a plan.”
The organization is also continuing its immigration rights workshops, training and legal clinics to connect members with immigration attorneys for initial consultations and helping them understand their status and what it means in this climate of increased ICE enforcement.
“We know that immigrant workers are the backbone of a vibrant, local economy and a crucial part of the creative apparel industry. They are the hands that make the clothes and are a very essential part of the process,” Nuncio said. “This moment reminds us of that, and it also highlights that the way forward through these challenges is by strengthening community organizing and mutual aid—coming together as a community to face these tough times.”
U.S. manufacturing expansion under threat
Trump’s mass deportation plan comes at a time when the U.S. is striving to bring manufacturing back to the states—an effort that will be undeniably challenging if a large portion of undocumented workers are removed from the workforce and threats of increased tariffs on other countries continue.
Since launching his presidential campaign, Trump has made it a mission to force China into economic submission, raising tariffs on imports from the country by as much as 60 percent. If these threats materialize, the U.S. could find itself “reverting to an antiquated approach to funding its government,” which would ultimately hit consumers hard, according to a study from the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE).
These escalating tariff threats, combined with the prospect of losing crucial immigrant labor, have broader implications for the future of U.S. manufacturing, according to Mendez.
“Even if some manufacturing returns to the U.S., the higher labor costs associated with reshoring could undermine the long-term competitiveness of American-made apparel,” Mendez said. “This could price domestic goods out of the global market, casting doubt on the viability of widespread reshoring and suggesting that these combined pressures may inadvertently stifle, rather than revitalize, the U.S. fashion industry’s growth and competitiveness.”
Beyond the immediate impacts, these policies raise broader concerns about the long-term health and evolution of the U.S. fashion industry. The current approach risks unintended consequences, such as fueling black markets or displacing workers in developing economies reliant on apparel manufacturing, Mendez noted.
“Even with some reshoring, increased U.S. labor costs will likely remain a challenge, though higher productivity, improved quality, or a ‘Made in America’ premium could offset this,” Mendez said. “Ultimately, navigating this complex landscape requires a long-term strategic vision, not merely reactive adjustments to policy shifts. Brands that prioritize ethical sourcing, workforce development and innovative solutions will be best positioned for future success.”
