The Truth About Immigration That MAGA Doesn't Acknowledge

"Those goals, however, are at odds. Millions of parents in the United States, native- and foreign-born alike, rely on immigrants to take care of their kids. (My toddler son has only ever been cared for by immigrant women, myself among them.) Immigrants make up at least 21 percent of the child-care workforce-and this may be an undercount. When fewer immigrants are in the American workforce, economic research suggests, women may work less or have fewer babies-possibly both."

"The study's conclusion echoes past research by other scholars. A 2024 study found that Secure Communities, an Obama-administration program that led to hundreds of thousands of deportations, reduced the total number of day-care employees, in part by sparking fear among even documented immigrant workers. "Even if they are a legal immigrant," Jessica Brown, an economics professor at the University of South Carolina's business school and an author of the study, told me, "they may have family members who are not.""

President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement prioritize fewer immigrants and higher birthrates among American mothers. Millions of parents in the United States, native- and foreign-born, rely on immigrants to provide child care. Immigrants constitute at least 21 percent of the child-care workforce, a share that may be understated. Increased immigration enforcement has created fear that keeps many immigrant women from working, reducing foreign-born child-care workers by roughly 39,000 and coinciding with about 77,000 U.S.-born mothers of children under five leaving the workforce. Past enforcement programs like Secure Communities also reduced day-care employees and closed centers, with estimated losses of about 16,000 workers and 1,700 day-care sites.

Read at The Atlantic