A new report reveals that President Trump’s mass deportation agenda could exacerbate the already critical U.S. childcare crisis, threatening families’ access to essential services and the broader economy.
Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2025 — A report released by the American Immigration Council highlights the precarious state of the U.S. childcare system, which is already strained by rising costs, staffing shortages, and high demand. The report warns that President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda could lead to catastrophic disruptions in this vital sector.
The report, titled Immigrant Workers and the Childcare Crisis: What’s at Stake for Families and the Economy, reveals that immigrant workers constitute one in five childcare workers across the nation. This percentage is even higher in major metropolitan areas such as Miami and San Jose. Notably, more than half of these workers are non-citizens, and nearly a third are undocumented, placing them at risk of deportation or loss of work authorization.
In addition to statistical analysis, the report includes personal stories from ten childcare providers and parents whose lives have already been affected by enforcement crackdowns and visa uncertainties. Jeremy Robbins, executive director of the American Immigration Council, emphasized the critical role immigrants play in the childcare system. “Working parents already feel the strain of a childcare system that’s barely holding together,” he said. “Parents can’t clock in if they don’t have safe, stable childcare, and immigrants play a key role in providing that. Mass deportation pulls that foundation out from under families and jeopardizes parents’ ability to stay in the labor force.”
The report documents how increased enforcement has already led to significant disruptions in childcare availability in various communities. For instance, a daycare center in south Philadelphia, which primarily serves low-income immigrant families, saw its enrollment drop from 158 children to 97 following enforcement actions. This decline forced the center to lay off staff and close classrooms. Similarly, a preschool in Washington, D.C., experienced teacher resignations due to new barriers to maintaining work authorization.
Some of the report’s key findings include:
Approximately 20.1 percent of childcare workers are immigrants, amounting to over 282,000 individuals, predominantly women.
In cities like San Jose and Miami, immigrants represent over two-thirds of childcare workers. In Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, they account for nearly half of the workforce.
Staffing shortages in the childcare sector are already acute. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 160,200 childcare jobs will open each year over the next decade due to turnover.
Immigrant childcare workers are more likely to be self-employed and work full-time, filling roles that have proven difficult to staff with U.S.-born workers.
Aggressive immigration enforcement has already led to daycare center closures, empty classrooms, and increased absenteeism in some communities.
The report also features testimonies from individuals, including childcare providers and parents, who express concern about the potential tightening of the childcare system due to mass raids and increased visa restrictions. One mother, identified as ‘Jen’ from New York City, shared her anxiety: “I want to be productive. I want to be part of the workforce. As things ratchet up, there’s always a little voice in my head, ‘Please, please don’t revoke visas.’ But if my au pair goes, then I would have to quit my job.”
Disruptions to the U.S. childcare system resulting from Trump’s immigration policies are poised to impact not only individual households but also the broader labor market. According to U.S. census data analyzed in the report, in 2025, 12.8 million households with children under the age of 14—41.9 percent of such households—had at least one adult whose job was affected due to losing access to childcare.
This situation includes 2.5 million households that resorted to unpaid leave, 2 million that reduced work hours, 1.3 million that had adults who stopped seeking employment, and over 600,000 households where adults quit their jobs.
“From hospitals to retail to tech, U.S. employers depend on parents being able to work,” stated Nan Wu, director of research at the American Immigration Council. “Removing the workers who make childcare possible would choke off workforce participation and weaken our economy at a time when it’s already struggling.”
For further insights, the full report is available through the American Immigration Council.