By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — New research finds increased immigration enforcement is shrinking the labor force without creating more jobs for U.S.-born workers.
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In Arizona, Dreamers and immigrant advocates say growing deportation fears and major delays in work permit renewals are leaving families, workers and businesses in limbo. The new research is raising questions about the economic and human costs of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
This week, a story with Arizona ties drew national attention. A Mexican couple was detained near Douglas as they were trying to get to their dying son. They were finally released and deported to Mexico just one day before their 18-year-old son, Kevin, died of stage 4 cancer.
Researchers say even people with legal status are pulling back from daily life.
Fear spreads beyond deportation
For many immigrants in Arizona, the fear is not just deportation but losing the life they built here.
“I think it’s been scary for a long time,” said Darian Benitez, a Harvard graduate and software engineer.
“Many of us are professionals. Many of us are not just employees, but employers contributing statistics that are well documented,” Benitez said.
New research suggests the economic fallout is growing.
“How that manifests in the local economy is a suppression of public activity, including participation in the economy, both as a worker, so people not showing up for work, as well as refraining from buying,” said Ryan Allen of the University of Minnesota.
Allen said immigration enforcement surges create what researchers call a “chilling effect,” where fear spreads far beyond the people actually detained.
A new study found that this is shrinking the labor force, especially in construction, agriculture and hospitality, without increasing jobs for U.S.-born workers.
“Immigrants tend to work in jobs that American workers would rather not work or in some cases don’t have the skills to work. I’m thinking about research scientists and doctors where immigrants have a large presence in local economies as well,” Allen said.
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Work permit delays mounting
Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Arizona, said Arizona is already seeing the consequences of monthslong delays for immigrants renewing work permits.
“This is not bureaucratic inconvenience. It means someone can and will lose their job authorization through no fault of their own,” Stanton said.
The immigration operations are not going away. Trump’s border security adviser, Tom Homan, spoke to CBS News last week.
“I’ve had the discussions with, uh, (Department of Homeland Security) Secretary Markwayne Mullin. He agrees we can have mass deportations, but do it in a smarter way, which we’re doing,” Homan said.
Stanton said DACA renewal wait times have jumped from about 15 days last year to roughly 70 days now, the longest delays since 2016. He and more than 80 lawmakers are now demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security.
Sen. Mark Kelly plans to speak on this topic Tuesday. Advocates are urging Dreamers to renew as early as nine months ahead of expiration.
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