Democratic leaders, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth and Representative Mike Quigley, have asked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for answers on how Donald Trump's immigration policies are deepening childcare shortages in the US. Nearly 20% of the US childcare workforce are immigrants, and this number rises to 70% in some areas. Trump's rules could cut the childcare workforce by 15%, the lawmakers warn in a letter to HHS's Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The letter says, "Immigration policy changes – including terminations of temporary protected status (TPS), the elimination of other lawful immigration pathways, and immigration raids in and around childcare programs – are driving childcare providers out of the workplace, exacerbating childcare workforce shortages and high prices." Examples include a Wisconsin nanny caught in deportation efforts, an asylum seeker detained by ICE after a check-in, and immigrant preschool teachers in Washington DC forced to quit after losing work permits due to TPS termination. Trump also removed protections shielding childcare centers from ICE raids. Cases in Chicago and Minnesota showed ICE arrests and visits at childcare sites, leading to fewer staff. The lawmakers emphasize that these issues hurt the wider economy. Parents often cut work hours or quit jobs when childcare becomes scarce or costly. They demand that ACF reveal how it assesses and plans to address the impact of Trump’s immigration policies on childcare availability and costs. This push comes amid moves by Democratic-led states to offer free universal childcare. New Mexico started the first statewide free childcare program in September 2025. New York City and state recently announced free childcare plans. San Francisco followed quickly. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has joined Senator Warren to promote the Child Care for Every Community Act, aiming to cap childcare costs at $10 daily for half of US families and base fees on income, similar to the US military’s program.