Since President Donald Trump's return to the White House in January, several key sectors of the U.S. economy — including agriculture, construction and hospitality — have experienced growing strain under his administration's aggressive immigration enforcement. Mass deportations and a sharp drop in immigrant labor have led to worker shortages and business disruptions in industries that rely heavily on undocumented and foreign-born workers.
These trends are detailed in a new report, Warning Signs of the Economic Harms from Deportations, published by Economic Insights and Research Consulting. The analysis estimates that the U.S. workforce has shrunk by as many as 1.2 million foreign-born workers since January 2025. According to the report, this labor loss has contributed to higher prices for goods and services and widespread staffing shortages in multiple sectors.
