Healthcare policy experts and financial professionals are raising concerns that increasingly restrictive immigration policies may significantly impact the availability and affordability of long-term care services in the United States. The warnings come as the Trump Administration escalates immigration enforcement, implements stricter visa regulations, and a Supreme Court decision ends temporary protected status for certain immigrant populations.
Immigrant workers have become integral to the American healthcare system, with research from KFF showing that immigrants comprise approximately 17% of the overall healthcare workforce. In long-term care settings specifically—including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health services—immigrants account for 30% of direct care workers. According to recent labor statistics, foreign-born workers represent 18.8% of the U.S. civilian labor force. However, data from January 2025 through April 2026 indicates that non-citizen immigrant workers declined by approximately 600,000, or 4%, during this period, even as naturalized citizen employment increased.
Experts argue that further restrictions on immigrant workers will compound existing care worker shortages at a time when demand is rising due to an aging population. Drishti Pillai, director of immigrant health policy at KFF, characterized the situation as a potential “double whammy,” noting that reduced immigrant participation in healthcare will exacerbate current workforce gaps and drive up costs for families seeking care services. Current pricing reflects the growing expense: in-home care for 44 hours weekly costs approximately $80,080 annually, with non-medical caregiver services averaging $35 per hour nationally, though rates vary significantly by region.
Financial advisors and healthcare agencies report that agencies are already increasing their rates in response to labor constraints, and these costs are being passed to consumers. Louis Barajas, a certified financial planner, notes that some immigrant healthcare workers have already left the industry or returned to their home countries due to uncertainty about their immigration status. He recommends that families explore long-term care insurance options and develop comprehensive financial planning strategies to prepare for potential care needs.
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