ICE 2025 Raids Cost 668,000 Jobs in 86 Cities, Hitting American-Born Workers Too
Updated
Updated · Brookings Institution · May 29
ICE 2025 Raids Cost 668,000 Jobs in 86 Cities, Hitting American-Born Workers Too
1 articles · Updated · Brookings Institution · May 29
A Brookings study found ICE’s 2025 enforcement surge left employment 0.73% below expected levels in 86 high-arrest cities, equivalent to about 668,000 lost jobs, with the gap widening to 1.48% in 51 cities tracked for at least six months.
Around 52,000 excess arrests in those cities were linked to far larger fallout—about 13 jobs lost per excess arrest initially and 30 after six months—undercutting the administration’s claim that removals would free jobs for Americans.
Construction and accommodation sectors took the deepest direct hits, while arts and entertainment also contracted sharply, a pattern the paper ties to labor shortages, disrupted operations and weaker local demand as residents stayed home.
American-born workers were also affected: the study estimates 51,000 to 297,000 of the lost jobs would have been held by U.S.-born workers, while ICE made roughly 380,000 arrests nationwide between January 2025 and February 2026.
The authors say the findings cover short-run formal payroll losses in the hardest-hit cities only, but argue the visible 'shock and awe' strategy damaged local economies rather than boosting employment.
Why did a campaign to boost U.S. jobs through immigration enforcement instead cause widespread losses for American workers?
As federal raids disrupt local economies, what legal shields are businesses and communities building to protect their workforces?
The 2025 ICE Raids: Economic Disruption, Labor Shortages, and the Unintended Costs of Mass Deportation
Overview
The 2025 ICE raids, carried out with the goal of creating more jobs and higher wages for American-born workers, instead caused immediate and significant economic disruption in many U.S. cities. A study published in May 2026 challenged the main claims behind these raids, showing that removing immigrant workers did not benefit native-born workers as promised. The deportation of immigrants in lower-skilled jobs led to job losses even among higher-skilled American workers, especially in construction, as projects stalled. This chain reaction revealed that the policy undermined the labor market and failed to deliver its intended economic benefits.