WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, FWD.us released a new report with original data and projections as part of the “Losing Status” website, detailing the alarming human and economic consequences from the loss of status for previously protected immigrants over the course of the second Trump administration.
When President Trump took office in early 2025, an estimated 6.1 million immigrants in this country had temporary protection from deportation, granted to them by our government. These include Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, people with parole, and people with a pending asylum application, among others. Many had authorized work permits as well. They followed the law, registered with the government, passed background checks, contributed to our communities and our economy, and built their lives here.
The new report tracks how, since 2025, the Trump administration has actively terminated numerous protections while also implementing new policies that have forced well more than one million previously protected immigrants out of status, shrinking the workforce and exposing them and their families to the threat of deportation. We then project how those losses will accelerate and grow in the coming years if these trends continue, growing to 3.5 million immigrants losing status by 2028.
Projections are based on a scenario where all remaining TPS designations are terminated; some DACA recipients continue to lose status due to court orders and processing delays; new restrictions on asylum eligibility and significant increases in asylum application denials; and the expiration of work permits for individuals in visa backlogs, among other developments. These projections are a baseline under current trends; additional policy changes, legislative efforts, or legal decisions could keep some protections in place, or increase losses further. See the full report for detailed scenario assumptions.
Key Data Findings from the Report:
- For context, by the end of 2025, some 500,000 people had lost protections because of terminations and changes to TPS, parole programs, and other policies, forcing them out of the workforce and exposing them to the administration’s aggressive ramp-up in deportations. More than 300,000 fewer workers were in the labor force, forfeiting $11 billion in annual economic contributions.
- Looking to the end of 2026, 2.2 million people are projected to lose status if remaining TPS designations are terminated and new restrictions on asylum accelerate status losses. Of those, more than 1.2 million would have been in the workforce, including in critical industries like construction and manufacturing.
- By the end of this administration in 2028, based on current trends and anticipated policy changes, 3.5 million are projected to have lost protection from deportation, including DACA recipients due to backlogs and processing delays. The harm will extend to more than a million U.S. citizen children whose parents or other household members will have lost status.
- The cumulative economic impact of forcing millions of people out of the workforce is $79 billion in economic contributions, including $24 billion in tax revenue.
Todd Schulte, FWD.us President, said: “Since January of 2025, the Trump administration has recklessly pressed ahead with an unprecedented revocation of immigration status — the result of which is that more than a million people have lost legal status. These new projections show that this administration is on course to revoke legal protections from at least 2.5 million more people, a move that comes with devastating human and economic consequences to every corner of the country. Whether it's revoking TPS protections, deporting people to horrific conditions, pushing DACA recipients out of their jobs through delays resulting in loss of work authorization, or the administration's other efforts, this is the wrong direction for all Americans. The administration should reverse this incredibly harmful course, and we need Congress to act and pass legislative solutions that protect immigrants who are losing legal status.”
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said: “America is a country of immigrants – but the Trump Administration launched an all-out assault on this fundamental truth, stripping protections from people who have lived here for years, and in some cases, decades, while fully complying with the law. This includes those who are seeking protection through our legal system, whose lawful pursuit of protection is now being treated as grounds for detention and deportation. FWD.us is doing the important work of documenting the devastating effects of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation agenda on families, communities, and businesses across the country. I introduced the SECURE Act and have supported legislation like the American Dream and Promise Act to give qualified TPS, DED, and DACA recipients a path to stay safely in the U.S. and continue to call America home. Congress can and should provide these individuals who have strengthened our economy and become integral parts of our communities with the certainty they deserve – and I will continue fighting to do exactly that.”
Representative María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) said: “This data confirms what I've been saying: taking lawful protections away from millions of workers has real consequences for American families, businesses, and communities. By the end of this year, more than two million legal immigrants, who contribute nearly $50 billion annually to our economy, are projected to lose their status. Over the next two years, that number could grow to more than 2 million workers, including hundreds of thousands in construction and hospitality: two industries that are critical in Florida. These are immigrants who had lawful status, who have lived and worked here for decades, including people who fled war and violence and followed the process established by our government. They need certainty, and America needs Congress to act. That’s why I am leading the effort to advance the Dignity Act and create a permanent, lawful immigration solution for them.”