Trump immigration​ Policies Threaten Home Care, ‍Worker Shortages

​ ​ ⁣ Updated⁣ June 12, 2025
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The home-based care industry faces potential workforce challenges‍ amid the Trump administration’s ​focus⁤ on immigration enforcement. Increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests and deportations could exacerbate existing worker shortages,particularly‌ as demand for at-home care rises.

Immigrants ⁢represent a meaningful portion of​ the direct care workforce. One in three home‌ care workers are immigrants, including a substantial number of undocumented⁣ aides. Stricter ‌immigration ⁣policies could reduce‌ the ‌availability of⁢ caregivers, making it harder for seniors​ to age in place.

While past administrations also ‌implemented deportation policies, the current ‍focus on ⁣increasing ICE‍ apprehensions, reportedly tripling daily arrest quotas, raises concerns about the impact on essential workers supporting the American economy.

A report by KFF indicated that immigrants account for​ 28% of the overall direct ‌care workforce ⁤in long-term care,⁢ totaling ⁣820,000 workers. Restrictions on immigration and mass deportations could lead to reductions in immigrants available to fill these​ roles, which would exacerbate ‍workforce shortages.

The Center for American Progress estimates that ⁣undocumented ‍immigrants account for 139,000 home⁣ health aides, nursing‌ assistants, and personal care⁤ aides.

Even immigrants with legal documentation ⁤are reportedly becoming fearful due to the aggressive immigration strategy.

Despite ⁣fluctuations in immigration policies, the home-based care industry has shown resilience. however, the ‌current administration’s approach, characterized by increased executive powers and‍ a focus on arrest⁤ quotas, may⁣ pose‍ unprecedented⁤ challenges.

As ⁣of‌ June 1,‌ over 51,000 people were in ICE ⁣detention‍ facilities, a figure higher then any point since 2019, ​according to the‌ Transactional Records Access‍ Clearinghouse.

Home care⁢ providers expressed ⁣concerns about deportations, and the renewed focus on ICE deportations would​ increase the reason for their worries.

Home-based ‍care advocates‍ are pushing for pathways for immigrants to enter the U.S. The Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) supports a temporary Home Care Visa and reform of the EB-3 visa. they also advocate ⁣for making caregiving a Schedule​ A occupation.

Peter Ross, CEO of Senior Helpers and a member⁢ of HCAOA, emphasized the​ need for immigration policies that support aging in ‌place. “We can do much better at that by‌ having people coming into the ⁤contry who want to provide that care,” Ross said.

Advocating for enhanced visa policies is likely a more comfortable position for home-based care‍ advocates‍ than taking a direct stance against one of ⁤the key components of Trump’s ‌platform.

Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a‌ professor of public health at Hunter College, warned that mass deportations ‌could lead to major shortages of health⁢ care ⁤workers, compromising access ⁤to care and quality of care for Americans.

“While [Trump’s deportation] actions are focused⁢ on undocumented immigrants, they likely will have ripple effects across immigrants ⁣of all statuses and millions ​more ⁢people living ⁢in ⁣immigrant families,” ‌a KFF report‍ read.

Immigration ⁢policy‌ is among the top concerns for employers, with 75% ⁤of respondents to Littler’s​ 13th Annual Employer ⁣Survey, released in May, reporting that they expect trump’s immigration policy to impact their businesses.

Despite Trump’s​ promise to focus on ⁢the ‍“worst of the worst,” his administration’s focus is now “all about the numbers, not the level of⁤ criminality,” ‌according to anonymous ⁤sources ​familiar with​ the matter cited by ‌Reuters.

ICE’s daily arrest quota has increased⁤ from 1,000 people to 3,000 people,⁣ according to ⁤Reuters.

“You have to be able to find‍ a way to make ​sure that people can age in ‌place,” Senior Helpers CEO Peter Ross, a member of HCAOA, previously ⁤told HHCN. “Sixty percent of all ‍seniors need assisted care in their lifetime. ⁤That’s going ‍to put tremendous pressure on Medicare, Medicaid, the government, counties‍ and states and localities,⁢ as well as the federal government, ‌to meet this need. We can​ do much better at that by having people coming into the country who want to provide that care.”

Trump deported 37,660 people in his first month in office, Reuters reported in‍ March – substantially below the average of 57,000 deportations ⁢that occurred in the last year of former President Joe Biden’s tenure.

While some called⁣ Former President ⁣Barack ‍Obama ⁢the “deporter ⁢in chief,” he deported an average of⁣ 36,019 people per month in 2013, the year with the highest number of deportations while he ‍was in office, according to data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics.

Trump ‍won 49.8% of the popular vote in 2024, and ⁤Trump supporters have ​a track record of not taking kindly to ⁣companies that disagree with‍ their leader. just this week, a far-right group called on⁤ Trump ⁣supporters to boycott Walmart after one of its stakeholders published an ad ‍supporting “No Kings Day.”

“[Immigrants] play a major role as​ doctors, as nurses, but particularly in ‍long-term care like nursing home care or home care,” Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a professor of public⁤ health ⁢at Hunter College and one ⁤of the research letter’s authors, previously told HHCN. “If Trump follows through on his plans for mass deportations, there’s going to be major shortages of health care workers, and that’s going to ‌compromise access​ to care and the quality of care ​for ⁢Americans.”

In ⁢terms ⁤of what could most impact home-based care providers, the Trump administration’s new focus on increased ICE apprehensions could be much more burdensome than​ arrests at the⁤ border.

Despite⁢ Trump’s promise ⁤to focus on​ the “worst of⁤ the worst,” his ‌administration’s focus is now “all about the numbers, not the‍ level of criminality,” according​ to anonymous sources familiar ‌with​ the matter cited ‌by Reuters.

ICE’s daily arrest ​quota has increased from 1,000 people ‍to 3,000 people, according ⁣to Reuters.

Over‍ 51,000 people were in ⁣ICE detention facilities as⁤ of June 1, according to ‍the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.⁤ That figure is ⁤notably high – higher than it’s been since 2019. In August 2019, 55,654 people​ were in‍ ICE detention facilities.

Immigration policy‍ is among the⁢ top concerns for employers,with 75% of respondents to Littler’s ‍13th ‌Annual‌ Employer Survey,released in may,reporting that⁤ they expect Trump’s immigration policy to impact their businesses.

The home-based care industry in ​particular stands to feel the consequences of more stringent immigration policies​ – and Trump’s actions in the last days and weeks‍ promise to ⁤hurt the industry even more than I previously ‍expected.

What’s next

The home-based⁣ care industry must navigate the evolving immigration landscape