Increased ICE enforcement in 2025 hurt local employment, analysis finds

A Brookings Institution analysis links a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in 2025 to job losses in U.S. cities. Researchers found that in metro areas where ICE activity increased fastest, employment fell 0.4% below its expected path immediately after detentions and for up to a year afterward. On average, each arrest in those cities was associated with four lost jobs. Lead author Marcela Escobari told CBS News the effects extended beyond immigrant communities. The White House disputed the findings, with spokeswoman Lauren Bis arguing the enforcement push protects workers and communities and responds to illegal immigration. The report also cites that the Trump administration ramped up enforcement, including federal deployments to Minneapolis-St. Paul in January and ICE reaching a monthly detention record in July, taking into custody more than 46,000 people.