The immigration raids promoted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) During 2025 they not only impacted undocumented immigrants. They also caused a sharp drop in employment and affected thousands of workers born in the United States, according to new research on the economic effects of immigration operations in dozens of cities in the country.
The study concludes that the increase in ICE detentions and raids was associated with the loss of approximately 668 thousand jobs in cities where migratory activity intensified with greater strength. The hardest hit sectors were precisely those where thousands of immigrants traditionally work: construction, accommodation services and the restaurant industry.
The Brookings investigation maintains that the “shock and awe” strategy applied by immigration authorities generated economic effects that went far beyond those detained.
The data show that the largest job losses were concentrated in industries with high participation of immigrant labor.
Construction led the affected sectors. According to the report, the sudden interruption of work crews caused project delays, cancellations and reduction of operations. The lack of workers affected not only immigrants, but also supervisors, machine operators, electricians and other American-born employees.
The accommodation and food industry also took a big hit. Restaurants, hotels and related businesses reported absences from work, resignations and difficulties in maintaining operations.
According to a survey cited in the study, 55% of restaurant operators reported negative impacts derived from immigration actions and 18% stated that employees stopped going to work for fear of raids.
The impact reached American workers
One of the most relevant findings is that job losses far exceeded the number of arrests made by ICE.
Although The authorities made around 52 thousand additional arrests in the most affected citiesinvestigators found that each arrest was linked to the disappearance of up to 13 jobs in the local economy.
The report estimates that between 51,000 and 297,000 lost jobs would have been filled by workers born in the United States.
“ICE detentions did not create jobs for Americans. On the contrary, the raids shrank local economies and destroyed jobs,” the study concludes.
Less consumption and businesses affected
The research also identified an indirect effect: the fear generated by the operations reduced economic activity in numerous communities.
Many families avoided going out to restaurants, shopping centers, sporting events or recreational activities for fear of encountering immigration agents. As a consequence, sectors with a low presence of immigrant workers, such as entertainment and the arts, also recorded job losses.
Researchers point out that in cities where ICE arrests increased, employment fell to 1.forty eight% below what was expected without the operatives.
The study concludes that the immigration watch-on policies implemented in 2025 generated significant economic costs for local communities and questions the idea that mass deportations automatically benefit American workers.
Keep reading:
- White House launches immigrant arrest portal and sparks controversy for comparing them to aliens
- Report denounces abuses and violations of civil rights in Minnesota during ICE operation
- Judge stops ICE raids in New York immigration courts after federal ruling
