"Most economic research shows that immigration increases employment opportunities for the U.S.-born, so it would not be surprising if reducing immigration harms American workers. Regets previously told Fortune an immigrant workforce can help boost productivity and justify hiring more workers, as well as encourage U.S. firms to take advantage of economic opportunities."
"A National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) policy brief published this month noted from February 2025 to February 2026, labor force participation for U.S.-born workers aged 16 and older actually fell from 61.4% to 61%, citing jobs data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That dip in the U.S.-born labor force-part of a larger labor market slowdown that saw just 181,000 jobs added to the U.S. economy in 2025-coincided with a swath of actions meant to curb immigration."
"The crackdown appears to have had its intended effect in driving out immigrants and those considering coming to the U.S. The Brookings Institute estimated the U.S. saw between 10,000 and 295,000 people leave the country in 2025, reaching negative net migration for the first time in about half a century. NFAP's analysis found a decline of 596,000 foreign-born workers in the U.S. since January 2026 and a total of 1.01 million workers since the number of foreign-born workers in the U.S. peaked in March 2025."
Over one year into the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, efforts to reduce immigration have successfully driven out immigrants and achieved negative net migration for the first time in approximately 50 years. The administration allocated roughly $170 billion in immigration enforcement funding, including $75 billion to ICE through 2029. Foreign-born workers declined by 1.01 million since March 2025, with an estimated 10,000 to 295,000 people leaving the country in 2025. However, these enforcement actions failed to achieve the intended goal of boosting U.S.-born employment. Labor force participation for U.S.-born workers aged 16 and older actually fell from 61.4% to 61% between February 2025 and February 2026. Economic research indicates immigration typically increases employment opportunities for native-born workers, suggesting that reducing immigration may harm American workers rather than help them.
#immigration-enforcement #labor-force-participation #us-born-workers #economic-impact #trump-administration-policy
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