Maria, a 48-year-old immigrant from Nicaragua, worked cleaning schools in Florida, earning $13 an hour and receiving biweekly paychecks of $900. Despite her modest income, she managed to support herself and her 11-year-old son while living with five other families. However, her situation changed drastically in August when her employer informed her that she could no longer work due to the Trump administration's termination of President Joe Biden's humanitarian parole program, which had previously provided work permits for immigrants including Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans like Maria. With only $5 left in her account, Maria expressed desperation, fearing detention and deportation.
The sweeping immigration policies of the Trump administration are affecting many foreign workers like Maria, undermining their ability to provide for themselves and impacting the broader American economy. Immigrants often fill low-wage jobs in sectors such as cleaning and agriculture—tasks that native-born citizens are often unwilling to perform. They also contribute significantly to the economy through their technical skills and entrepreneurial efforts. However, the termination of work permits and increased deportations threaten this vital workforce at a time when hiring trends in the U.S. are already deteriorating.
As Trump escalates his immigration crackdown, he is not only targeting low-wage laborers but also deterring skilled foreign professionals. Researchers from the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute have projected that without foreign workers, monthly job growth in the U.S. could come close to zero or even turn negative in the coming years. This follows a period between 2021 and 2023 where job growth was robust, averaging 400,000 jobs per month.
To emphasize the short and long-term economic consequences, the Congressional Budget Office downgraded its economic growth forecast for 2023 to 1.4%, noting the implications of Trump’s immigration and trade policies. Economic institutions express concern that the loss of immigrant labor could hinder job creation and innovation, which typically comes from a diverse workforce. Examples this deterioration include nonprofits like Goodwin Living in Virginia, which had to lay off four Haitian employees after their work permits were revoked. CEO Rob Liebreich warned that these layoffs exacerbate staffing shortages, stating, “We need all those hands.”
Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act has allocated a significant $150 billion for immigration enforcement, leading to aggressive actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Recent ICE raids have created a chilling effect on both immigrant workers and employers reliant on them, adding to existing labor shortages in agriculture and other sectors. Farmers like John Boyd Jr. have expressed concern that the raids affect crops and raise prices at markets, noting that U.S.-born workers are often unwilling to engage in challenging farm work.
Moreover, economists highlight that job growth is stalling, particularly in sectors reliant on immigrant labor, with construction companies losing thousands of jobs post-crackdown. Additionally, the administration's increase of the H-1B visa fee to a staggering $100,000 signals a reduced interest in attracting skilled foreign talent, prompting some international professionals to consider relocating overseas. One H-1B visa holder from India, who is already preparing to move to the United Kingdom, remarked that the message is clear: “You are not welcome here.”
In conclusion, the intertwining issues of immigration policy, labor shortages, and economic health continue to create challenges in the United States. As workers like Maria experience the impact of changing laws, experts warn of broader consequences for economic stability and growth.
