NBER study finds mass deportations harm American workers
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 6
NBER study finds mass deportations harm American workers
12 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 6
University of Colorado Boulder economists found a 1.3% employment drop for U.S.-born men in areas where ICE arrests doubled between January and October 2025.
The study also estimated a 4% decline in undocumented-worker employment, with six likely undocumented male workers stopping work for every ICE arrest.
Researchers said the losses were concentrated in industries where immigrant and US-born workers hold complementary jobs, undermining White House claims that deportations improve opportunities for native-born workers.
Why might removing immigrant workers be costing U.S.-born citizens their jobs instead of creating new ones?
Beyond jobs, how does a climate of fear from enforcement reshape local communities and their economies?