Here are the facts about immigration and caregiving in the U.S.
- Immigrants make up a huge portion of the caregiving workforce, according to KFF. This highlights the deep connection between immigration and caregiving in the U.S.
- More than a million immigrants work in healthcare in the U.S., many in direct care roles supporting elderly and disabled Americans.
- Immigrants account for 28% of the long-term care workforce as of 2023, nearly one in three workers, demonstrating a clear link between immigration and caregiving in American society.
- In home care specifically, immigrants make up 32% of the workforce, which is critical given record-high demand for at-home aging.
These aren’t just numbers. They represent people who bathe, feed, comfort, and sit beside older adults who might not otherwise have anyone. They’re also the people keeping facilities running — housekeepers, maintenance staff, and aides who make day-to-day operations possible.
Policy changes directly affect who can show up for these jobs.
For example, take Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Thousands of Haitians who fled disaster and violence were allowed to stay and work in the U.S. under TPS. Many became nurses, aides, and housekeepers in senior care facilities, showcasing a link between immigration and caregiving in the U.S. When efforts were made to roll back TPS protections, it put not only their lives in limbo, but also the stability of the facilities that depended on them, according to PBS. Similarly, immigration changes impact caregiving as workers face uncertainty.
This isn’t an isolated story. Every time there’s talk of mass deportation, visa restrictions, or ending work permits, the caregiving industry braces for shortages. And we’re already dealing with shortages. Many nursing homes and home care agencies struggle to hire and retain workers because the job is demanding, stressful, and often low-paid. If you strip away a big portion of the immigrant workforce, the math just doesn’t work.
The ripple effect goes far beyond caregivers themselves.
When nursing homes can’t staff properly, hospitals can’t discharge patients. That means ERs get backed up, hospital beds stay full, and the entire healthcare system feels the strain. It’s not just about one nurse or one aide losing a job. It’s about the chain reaction that makes care harder to access for everyone, showing again how immigration and caregiving are directly related.
And here’s another layer: cultural competency.
Immigrant caregivers often bring language skills and cultural knowledge that make them uniquely suited to support an increasingly diverse older population. For example, if an older adult only speaks Spanish or Haitian Creole, having a caregiver who understands them isn’t just nice, it’s essential. When policies push those workers out, families can be left scrambling to find care that actually works for their loved one, which highlights the interconnectedness of immigration and caregiving in the U.S.
So why does immigration and caregiving in the U.S. matter to you and me?
Because chances are, if you’re not already navigating caregiving for a loved one, you will be at some point. The U.S. population is aging rapidly, and millions of people rely on paid caregivers to age with dignity. However, if immigration policies keep shrinking the pool of available workers, families will face longer waitlists, higher costs, and tougher choices. Thus, immigration and caregiving in the U.S. are issues that affect us all.
To break it down simply, restrictive immigration policies mean:
- Fewer caregivers are available to hire because of immigration constraints.
- Increased pressure on already overworked staff.
- Higher stress for families trying to secure care.
- Greater strain on hospitals and the broader healthcare system.
- Loss of culturally competent care for older adults as immigration options reduce.
This is one of those issues where policy feels abstract until it touches your family directly. The caregivers at the heart of this story aren’t just “workers.” They become part of the families they care for, sharing meals, building trust, and offering compassion when it’s needed most. Losing them isn’t just a labor issue, it’s a human one.
At the end of the day, when we talk about immigration, we need to remember we’re also talking about care and who will be there for our parents, grandparents, and, one day, for us, highlighting the intersection of immigration and caregiving.
