Immigrants Remain Vital to U.S. Health Care Workforce Despite Decline in Noncitizen Workers
Immigrants continue to play a critical role in the U.S. health care system and several key industries, even as the number of noncitizen immigrant workers has declined amid stricter immigration policies under the Trump administration, according to a new report released by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
The report found that while the overall number of immigrant workers in the United States remained relatively stable between January 2025 and April 2026, the number of noncitizen immigrant workers fell by approximately 600,000, or 4 percent, from 15.4 million to 14.8 million. The decline was offset by a rise of more than 800,000 naturalized citizen workers during the same period.
As of 2024, immigrants accounted for nearly 31 million workers, representing 19 percent of the U.S. workforce. In the health care sector, immigrants made up 17 percent of all workers, including 28 percent of physicians and surgeons and 30 percent of direct long-term care workers.
According to the report, immigrants are especially important in hospitals, where they comprise about one in six workers. They account for 30 percent of hospital physicians and surgeons, 22 percent of nursing assistants, and 17 percent of registered nurses.
The largest groups of immigrant health care workers originate from the Philippines (12 percent), Mexico (11 percent), and India (7 percent). Among immigrant physicians and surgeons, Indian-born professionals represent the largest share at 21 percent.
Beyond health care, immigrants also hold significant roles in agriculture, construction, and service industries. They make up one-third of agricultural workers, more than one-quarter of construction workers, and nearly one-quarter of workers in food services, maintenance, and personal care occupations.
KFF warned that continued reductions in immigration could create challenges for the U.S. economy and labor market, particularly as the nation’s population ages. The report noted that a shrinking immigrant workforce could worsen existing shortages in health care and long-term care services, potentially affecting access to care and the well-being of millions of Americans.
Researchers emphasized that immigrants remain an essential component of the U.S. workforce and play a particularly important role in maintaining the country’s health care infrastructure.
