A new report highlights the potential impact of President Trump’s mass deportation agenda on the already fragile U.S. childcare system, warning of severe consequences for families and the economy.
Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2025 — A recent report from the American Immigration Council reveals that the U.S. childcare system, already facing challenges such as rising costs, staffing shortages, and high demand, is at risk of catastrophic disruption due to President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. The report emphasizes that the loss of even a small portion of the childcare workforce could leave families without adequate care and hinder their ability to work.
The report, titled Immigrant Workers and the Childcare Crisis: What’s at Stake for Families and the Economy, highlights the significant role immigrant workers play in the childcare sector, comprising one in five childcare workers nationwide. In major metropolitan areas like Miami and San Jose, this percentage is even higher. The report notes that over half of these workers are non-citizens, with nearly a third being undocumented and thus vulnerable to deportation or loss of work authorization.
In addition to statistical analysis, the report features in-depth profiles of ten childcare providers and parents whose lives and livelihoods are already being disrupted by enforcement crackdowns and visa uncertainties. Jeremy Robbins, executive director of the American Immigration Council, stated, “Working parents already feel the strain of a childcare system that’s barely holding together. 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 disruptions in childcare availability across various communities. For example, 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, resulting in layoffs and classroom closures. Similarly, at a preschool in Washington, D.C., teachers were forced to resign due to new barriers to maintaining their work authorization.
Key findings from the report include that 20.1 percent of childcare workers are immigrants, totaling over 282,000 individuals, predominantly women. In cities such as San Jose and Miami, immigrants account for more than two-thirds of childcare workers, while in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, they make up nearly half. The report also highlights that staffing shortages are already critical, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting that 160,200 childcare jobs will open each year over the next decade due to turnover.
Moreover, 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. The report indicates that aggressive immigration enforcement has already led to daycare closures, empty classrooms, and increased absenteeism in some communities.
Testimonies from individuals featured in the report illustrate the personal stakes involved. One mother in New York City, identified as ‘Jen,’ expressed her desire to contribute to the workforce while fearing the repercussions of stricter immigration policies. “I want to be productive. I want to be part of the workforce,” she said. “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.”
The implications of disruptions to the U.S. childcare system, as outlined in the report, extend beyond individual households to 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 a loss of access to childcare. This includes 2.5 million households that resorted to unpaid leave, 2 million that reduced work hours, 1.3 million that did not seek employment, and over 600,000 that quit their jobs.
“From hospitals to retail to tech, U.S. employers depend on parents being able to work,” said 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.”
As the report illustrates, the potential fallout from Trump’s mass deportation agenda could exacerbate an already critical childcare crisis, affecting families and the economy alike, according to American Immigration Council.