Trump Immigration Crackdown Disrupts U.S. Childcare Workforce

A study by scholars from four universities shows childcare center employment fell sharply after ICE raids intensified under President Donald Trump, while in-home nanny work rose but did not fully replace loss.

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Trump pledged deportations and, after taking office, directed ICE to conduct interior raids in cities such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis. Brookings estimates about 400,000 people have been detained in arrests since the crackdown began.

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• Foreign-born women in childcare centers fell by 52,900 jobs in the first nine months of 2025.

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• In-home childcare positions held by foreign-born workers rose by 28,400.

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• Childcare costs exceed $20,000 per year for a single child in high-cost markets.

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• The sector remains low-paying, high-turnover, and reliant on immigrant labor.

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Erdal Tekin said the enforcement “spilled over into the lives of American families” by pushing workers out of regulated centers and noted the study found no measurable rise in native-born childcare workers. President Trump, when asked about daycare costs, replied that the United States “can’t take care of day care,” arguing that states should fund it while the nation focuses on “fighting wars.”

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Child-advocacy groups warn that the loss of credentialed, center-based staff threatens care quality, as providers are more likely to hold advanced degrees and be subject to licensing oversight. Critics point out the administration has offered no comprehensive plan to lower childcare expenses.

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The research did not examine how the labor-force shift affected childcare prices, leaving uncertainty about cost dynamics. Although the administration claims stricter immigration policy benefits native workers, the study found no substantive evidence of such gains.

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Reduced access to qualified, regulated childcare can impair children’s physical and cognitive development and limit parents’ ability to participate in the labor force, reinforcing broader vulnerabilities in an already low-wage industry.

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Researchers plan to extend the analysis to price trends and long-term child outcomes, while lawmakers debate state-level funding mechanisms for daycare amid immigration enforcement.

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• “Childcare is a clear example of how immigration policy can spill over into the lives of American families by pushing workers out of center-based care and creating disruptions that working parents often have to bear,” — Erdal Tekin, Economist, American University

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• “Center-based childcare is mostly regulated and visible and subject to licensing requirements - and easier for [immigration] enforcement activity to be targeted at,” — Erdal Tekin

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• “The childcare sector is a very low-paying sector. It’s one of the highest-turnover industries, and it has a high degree of reliance on immigrants,” — Erdal Tekin

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• “We can’t take care of day care. You gotta let a state take care of day care, and they should pay for it, too.” — Donald Trump, President of the United States

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