Overview
- The Better Life Lab at New America estimates roughly 39,000 fewer foreign‑born child care workers and about 77,000 fewer mothers of preschoolers in the workforce since January 2025.
- Federal data show more than 225,000 people arrested by ICE this year, with about one‑third lacking criminal convictions or pending charges and arrests more than tripling from December 2024 to June 2025.
- Rescinding protections for places like day cares has coincided with enforcement reaching locations once considered off‑limits, including a recent detention of a worker at a Chicago‑area center.
- Departures are concentrated among highly educated immigrant educators and Mexican workers, and researchers note a drop among U.S.-born Hispanic caregivers as some shift from centers to private household jobs, reducing formal capacity.
- Congress approved $170 billion over four years for immigration enforcement, and providers report heightened fear and trauma, with workers and families describing disruptions to care and work.