Deporting Immigrants May Further Shrink the Health Care Workforce

Nearly half of US nursing homes report limiting admissions because of staffing shortages,¹ and only 19% currently meet the minimum staffing levels mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by 2029.² Shortages of nurses and other personnel caused two-thirds of hospitals to operate below full capacity in 2023.³ The Trump administration’s plans to deport undocumented immigrants and some with temporary protected status (TPS)—which allows some migrants from countries with unsafe conditions to live and work in the US—and increase legal barriers even for skilled immigrants, could worsen workforce shortages. This study estimated the number of immigrants employed in health care who might be affected by deportation or immigration restrictions.