Controversy

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Status:Open

Will Current U.S. Immigration Policy Have a Measurable Economic Impact on U.S. Industries Such as Agriculture, Construction & Hospitality?

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Claims

Last Updated 2 days ago

Joint Economic Committee"Mass deportations would cause labor shortages in vital industries like agriculture, housing, and health care—raising costs for all Americans."Dec 11, 2024

Senate

"A sudden contraction of that workforce would likely drive up food prices, exacerbate housing shortages, and strain already overburdened health care systems."Dec 31, 2025

Big Bend Times

Ken Simonson“The construction inflow of potential workers has been turned off.”Jan 14, 2026

Construction Dive

Leila Bengali"Broader trends in consumer demand likely contributed to slowing job growth in those industries that are more exposed to undocumented workers (construction, leisure and hospitality, and other services). "Jan 12, 2026

Frbsf

WPR"That poses a huge threat to immigrant-dependent industries, like agriculture, which has been dealing with an acute labor shortage."Jan 05, 2026

WPR

Harvest Public Media"With Trump’s immigration crackdown set to expand, some farmers fear that workers will be even harder to find."Jan 05, 2026

WPR

Marcela Escobari"Raids empty factories and farms, leaving owners with orders they cannot fill and crops they cannot harvest. For the first time since the 1930s net migration turned negative in 2025, reducing consumer spending by about $50 billion and reducing GDP growth."Jan 20, 2026

Brookings

University of Minnesota"Restaurants, construction and landscaping businesses have lost a combined 315,000 immigrant workers through August this year, more than any other industries. "Jan 01, 2026

Post Register

Anirban Basu“With many undocumented construction workers self-deporting or simply not showing up to work anymore even though they remain in the country, many of these contractors haven’t replaced that talent.”Jan 14, 2026

Construction Dive

CSP Daily News"Increased labor woes has caused restaurant closures, reduced hours, more turnover and higher costs, "Dec 10, 2019

CSP Daily News

El País"Labor shortages, the closure of successful businesses, the loss of tax revenue from immigrants, and a drop in consumer spending are some of the consequences economists are warning about, which were already being felt in 2025 and are expected to worsen in 2026."Jan 05, 2026

EL PAÍS English

“There’s been a crisis in farm labor for some time, and it certainly would be exacerbated by immigration enforcement.”Jan 05, 2026

WPR

"The immigrants who aren’t here aren’t just not working—they’re also not spending across the U.S. economy."Jan 13, 2026

Brookings

SupplyChainBrain"Aggressive deportations can cause a sharp and abrupt enough fall in labor supply that some employers will respond by shutting down operations entirely. "Dec 29, 2025