Immigration

Immigration Impact -  Immigrants have long been key to population growth in the United States. Between 2018 and 2023, they were responsible for 42.1% of population growth in America’s 100 largest metro areas. In particular, 91.7% of population growth in metro Seattle, 83.7% in metro Scranton, PA, 82.1% in metro New York, and 76.9% in metro Poughkeepsie, NY was attributable to increase in their immigrant population.

In these 100 largest metro areas, at least 1 in every 6 residents was an immigrant in 2023, according to the newly released data from the American Immigration Council’s Map the Impact. These figures highlight the vital role immigrants play in reshaping metro areas across the country by sustaining the workforce in key industries, and powering technological innovation. While much of the increases are concentrated in these hubs, the benefits of their growth extend far beyond the metro regions. 

Axios -  The White House immigration crackdown is straining the long-term health care industry, as nursing homes and care providers lose foreign-born employees and struggle to hire. These folks care for the disabled and for the country's fast-growing elderly population, and they're already in short supply.

 "We have facilities with empty wings and it's not for lack of residents — it's just for lack of staff," says Robin Wolzenburg, senior vice president of clinical and regulatory services with LeadingAge Wisconsin.  Read more

Time -  U.S. immigration officials will continue conducting immigration raids at farms, hotels, and restaurants, marking an apparently rapid reversal of guidance issued last week to exempt those worksites from the Trump Administration's mass deportations.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials told staff in a call on Monday that agents must conduct raids at farms, hotels, and restaurants, two people with knowledge of the call told The Washington Post. Multiple news outlets, including CNN and Reuters, have since confirmed the news.

“There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts,” Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, told the Post. “Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability.”

President Donald Trump has launched a mass-deportation operation since he took office for a second time in January, sparking outrage from Democratic lawmakers and prompting thousands of demonstrators to take to the streets to protest ICE raids targeting undocumented immigrants. Trump has recently faced backlash from agriculture and hospitality executives over his hardline immigration agenda, the Post reported. On Thursday, he posted on Truth Social that “changes are coming.”

“Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” Trump said in his post. “In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs. This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!”