Deportations could eliminate 6 million jobs

A new ACLU and AFL-CIO report warns that Trump's immigration crackdown could result in roughly 6 million job losses for U.S. workers as immigrant labor disappears from interconnected industries and supply chains.

Grocery prices tied to labor loss

The report links higher food prices to immigration enforcement, citing data showing lettuce prices rose 32.1 percent and fresh milk rose 9 percent in the 12 months ending June 2026, partly due to immigrant labor shortages.

Construction workforce faces major disruption

Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. construction workforce could be affected by deportation policies, potentially eliminating 1.4 million construction jobs overall, including 860,000 held by U.S.-born workers.

Housing costs could spike further

Immigration enforcement has been linked to nearly 2,000 fewer homes completed each year per state and an 18 percent rise in house prices, worsening an already tight housing market.

Economy of fear suppresses spending

Heightened enforcement has created an economy of fear where workers stay home and consumers cut spending. University of Pennsylvania research estimates ICE raids will lead to 8.1 billion fewer business visits, costing $3 to $14 billion annually.

Immigrants work across all sectors

Roughly one in five U.S. workers is an immigrant spanning all sectors of the economy. When businesses lose these workers, employers reduce operations, delay projects, or scale back hiring, affecting remaining workers' wages.

“Roughly one in five workers in our country is an immigrant, spanning all sectors of the economy.”

Johns Hopkins economist warns of cascading effects

Michael Clemens, an immigration economist at Johns Hopkins University, says mass deportation reduces native employment and raises prices on food, housing, and eldercare. Effects will grow like a snowball each month.

“These are not opinions but findings from quantitative analysis at high academic standards.”

White House defends enforcement agenda

A White House spokesperson argued that illegal immigration under Biden harmed the economy and suppressed wages, and that Trump's enforcement agenda will create jobs for American workers and capitalize on untapped domestic labor.

“There is no shortage of American minds and hands to grow our labor force.”

Republican strategist cites multiple pressures

Republican strategist Matt Wylie told Newsweek that family budgets are being crushed by tariffs and trade wars, and voters will decide the midterms based on who they trust to lower grocery and gas prices.

AFL-CIO president blames system, not immigrants

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said working people know it's not immigrants standing between them and good jobs, but billionaires, and called for laws reflecting that reality.

“It's not an immigrant that stands between them and a good job, it's the billionaires.”

Citizenship pathway could boost GDP

The ACLU and AFL-CIO argue that creating easier citizenship pathways would yield massive economic benefits, including hundreds of thousands of new jobs and higher wages for all workers.

“Creating a pathway to citizenship for workers would yield massive economic benefits.”

Midterm voters may not yet connect dots

Clemens says it's unclear if voters will link rising grocery and housing costs to immigration enforcement yet, since the number of immigrant workers seized so far is small. Effects will become visible over time.

Reform needed, not enforcement alone

Clemens argues the alternative to mass deportation is not anarchy but immigration law reform reflecting the needs of an aging population and rapidly changing technology.

“The alternative is not anarchy and abrogation of U.S. immigration law, but reform.”