Mass Deportations, Invisible Loss: How They’re Shattering America’s Informal Care Economy

Informal Care Economy

Deportation and Domestic Work: The Hidden Crisis

Mass deportation isn’t just a border issue—it’s a kitchen table issue, disrupting families, communities, and one of the most undervalued parts of the U.S. economy: the informal care sector.

As a former border mayor and now CEO of Intermestic Partners, I’ve seen this from both sides. Our immigration policies often ignore the real-life consequences on the people who hold our households together—nannies, caregivers, housekeepers—many of whom are undocumented, yet irreplaceable.

What Is the Informal Care Economy?

The informal care economy includes domestic jobs like:

• 🍼 Childcare

• 🧓 Elder care

• 🧼 Housekeeping

• 🍽️ Meal preparation

These services are often person-to-person, unregulated, and largely staffed by immigrants—many of whom lack legal status but sustain America’s caregiving infrastructure.

Deportations Are Gutting the Care Workforce

📉 Numbers Don’t Lie

In FY 2019 alone, over 267,000 people were deported from the U.S. Many of them were embedded in essential roles—quietly powering households.

💔 Emotional Toll

Children lose nannies, seniors lose caregivers, and families are left scrambling. The sudden absence destabilizes households and tears apart communities.

Regions with higher deportation rates saw a notable drop in domestic care employment, especially among Hispanic women. 

Real Stories, Real Impact

One Los Angeles Times report tells of a single mother suddenly left without child care when her nanny was deported. She was forced to reduce her work hours, risking her job just to keep her family afloat.

This isn’t rare. It’s happening in thousands of households across the country.

Why This Matters to Everyone

👨‍👩‍👧 Families Can’t Function

Without affordable, trusted care, families must choose between income and caregiving.

🏥 Healthcare Systems Feel the Strain

Elderly individuals and people with disabilities lose home-based care, shifting pressure onto overstretched hospitals and nursing homes.

📉 Local Economies Suffer

When informal care providers vanish, local employers lose workforce availability and productivity declines.

What Can Be Done?

✍️ Immigration Reform

We need a path to legal status for caregivers already contributing to the economy. This protects families, not just borders.

🏛 Multi-Sector Response

Governments, NGOs, and employers must:

• Develop emergency support systems

• Acknowledge and formally recognize the care economy

• Include immigrant care workers in policy protections

At Intermestic Partners, we support solutions that protect both workers and families—because a stable care economy is a public good.

Conclusion: Care Can’t Be Deported

Mass deportations don’t just remove people—they erase care from American life.

It’s time to reframe how we view immigration, recognizing not only the workers in the shadows but the families who depend on them.

Let’s elevate this invisible economy—and protect it.

Call to Action

✨ Engage locally🗣️ Advocate for reform💸 Support NGOs📚 Start conversations

Every action helps. Let’s protect those who protect our families.