As the Trump administration intensifies its immigration enforcement efforts, concerns are mounting within the healthcare sector about the long-term implications for an already strained workforce.
A newly published study in JAMA Network Open highlights the vital role of immigrant labor in U.S. healthcare and warns of significant disruptions if proposed mass deportations are carried out.
According to the study, co-authored by five physicians and public health experts from New York and Massachusetts, more than 1 million noncitizen immigrants—about a third of whom may lack legal status—are employed in healthcare roles nationwide. These positions include physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, and home health aides.
Healthcare employers, particularly in long-term care and home health, will likely face steep operational challenges should large numbers of these workers be removed from the labor force.
The data, drawn from the March 2024 Current Population Survey, indicate that 12.8% of New York’s healthcare workforce consists of noncitizens—the highest percentage among high-population states.
“New York had, by far, the highest proportion of noncitizen immigrants in its healthcare workforce,” Dr. Stephanie Woolhandler, a co-author of the report and professor at Hunter College, said in a published report.
Nationally, noncitizens comprise at least 10% of the home-care workforce, 7% of nursing home workers, and 4% of hospital staff, according to the study.
These figures are especially troubling for an industry already battling historic workforce shortages. The American Health Care Association’s 2025 report on nursing home staffing revealed that 99% of facilities currently report open positions, and nearly 90% actively seek registered nurses. The report also showed that 72% of surveyed providers still operate with reduced staffing levels compared to pre-pandemic numbers.
A separate 2024 analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on health policy, found that just 19% of nursing homes currently meet the upcoming federal staffing mandates, which will take effect in 2029 under new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services guidelines.
Experts worry that further disruption from deportations could worsen care delivery, particularly for elderly and disabled populations.
“Immigrant workers are essential to maintaining care in long-term care settings,” said Woolhandler. “If they’re removed, patients will suffer.”
The authors of the JAMA study stressed that the consequences extend beyond the affected workers themselves. Staffing gaps can cascade across the entire healthcare system, they said, leading to overcrowded ERs, delayed discharges, and bottlenecks in care transitions.
As policy discussions continue in Washington, healthcare leaders nationwide are urging lawmakers to weigh the potential collateral damage on a system already under intense pressure.
