US Migrant Crackdown Threatens Key Labor Supply, Say Business Leaders

As President Donald Trump intensifies immigration enforcement, businesses across the U.S. are sounding alarms over a growing labor shortage. The administration’s move to revoke temporary protections for workers from countries like Venezuela and Nicaragua has already impacted staffing at cleaning, healthcare, and construction firms.

Victor Moran, CEO of Maryland-based Total Quality, says he has lost 15 employees, with more at risk. “If this expands, we could lose hundreds,” he warned.

Nationwide, nearly 20% of the U.S. workforce is foreign-born, a figure that reached a historic high last year. Employers in healthcare and agriculture say they are struggling to fill jobs as authorized and undocumented workers exit due to deportation fears.

Economists warn that curbing immigration could reduce labor supply, limit business growth, and fuel inflation. “Instead of an engine of growth, the economy risks stagnation,” said UC Davis economist Giovanni Peri.

Despite criticism from industry leaders, the White House has reaffirmed workplace raids as a central enforcement tool, even as housing, eldercare, and hospital networks report growing strain.