Lawmakers, advocates warn immigration enforcement is driving up home health costs

The cost of in-home care and other services that rely on immigrant workers has risen sharply amid stepped-up immigration enforcement, an advocacy report says, prompting a lawmaker from New Mexico to push for a new visa aimed at relieving workforce shortages and reducing costs for families.

Report links enforcement to higher prices for care

America’s Voice, an advocacy organization, found what it described as an “ICE tax” — higher consumer prices tied to immigration enforcement activity. The report cites a 10.7% increase in the price of home health care over the past year, an increase the group connects to a surge in enforcement actions that removed or deterred immigrants who provide many in-home services.

The group said other industries dependent on immigrant labor also saw sharp price gains. According to the report, costs for some staple food items and service sectors rose by between 6% and 32% in the same period, outpacing general inflation.

Congressional response and proposed visa

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-New Mexico, criticized the federal enforcement actions and framed the rising costs as a nationwide problem that is particularly acute in states with growing senior populations. Vasquez highlighted recent immigration arrests in his region — including at least a dozen people arrested in Santa Fe in late August — as part of the context for rising care costs.

To address what he calls workforce shortages, Vasquez introduced legislation in early June called the Careworker Visa Act, which would establish a new visa category for qualified childcare providers, eldercare workers and in-home aides for people with disabilities. The bill had not received a committee hearing in the Republican-controlled House as of the report’s release.

“Our children, our seniors, and families and folks with special needs deserve better, and the administration’s immigration crackdown is making matters worse for all Americans,”

Vasquez framed the bill as a bipartisan, economic fix intended to lower costs and strengthen the labor pool for care services.

Experts describe economic effects in targeted communities

Speakers at a news conference described local economies affected by enforcement as operating under a heightened climate of fear that can harm employers, consumers and the workers themselves. Zeke Hernandez, an associate professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, said that an "economy of fear" in places targeted by immigration enforcement is damaging broadly.

Advocates say that when enforcement actions remove or deter immigrant labor, businesses and households face higher operating costs and must compete for a smaller pool of workers, which can push wages and prices upward. The report presented examples across sectors where immigrants comprise a substantial share of the workforce, including home health, landscaping and construction.

• Home health care: reported 10.7% price increase in the past year.
• Food items: some fruits, vegetables and milk rose between 6% and 32%, per the report.
• Local enforcement: at least a dozen arrests in Santa Fe in late August cited as local context.

Policy implications and next steps

The debate ties immigration policy directly to the affordability and availability of care for seniors, children and people with disabilities. Supporters of a new care-worker visa argue it would stabilize the labor supply and bring down costs for families and service providers; critics — including lawmakers who control committee assignments — have not advanced the bill for hearings, leaving the proposal stalled.

Any legislative remedy would require negotiation in Congress over immigration policy, labor standards and visa limits. In the meantime, the report’s findings add to ongoing conversations about how enforcement priorities affect local economies and essential services. The balance between immigration enforcement and labor market needs is likely to remain a contentious issue in the coming months, particularly in districts where rising care costs are a visible economic strain.