Heightened ICE enforcement’s unintended effects

New CU Boulder research found that increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity was associated with declines in employment among both likely undocumented immigrants and U.S.-born workers.

Associate Professor of Economics Chloe East, and Elizabeth Cox, a professional research assistant with the Institute for Behavioral Science, analyzed labor market data from October 2023 through November 2025. They found that increased ICE operations created a “chilling effect,” leading many immigrant workers to leave the workforce, particularly in agriculture, construction and manufacturing. Rather than creating new job opportunities or raising wages for U.S.-born workers, the loss of immigrant labor reduced overall employment and slowed economic activity. 

The findings suggest that immigrant and U.S.-born workers often occupy complementary roles in the labor market, meaning immigration enforcement can have broader economic consequences than previously understood.