New York is home to a staggering 470,100 undocumented workers, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration said Tuesday — as the governor worried a coming crackdown on illegal immigrants could send the local economy into a tailspin.
The revelation came as Hochul unveiled a massive $252 billion budget proposal and would mean about 15% of the state’s entire workforce is undocumented, or nearly one out of every 6 employees as newly returned President Donald Trump has pledged a crackdown on illegal immigration.
“The potential deportation of undocumented immigrants could further exacerbate the state’s population loss and labor shortages,” an economic outlook analysis released as part of the budget plan said.
The Center for Migration Services estimated that 470,100 workers in the Empire State are undocumented — a figure cited in Hochul’s report.
“Most of them work as construction workers, maids/housekeepers, cooks, home and personal care aides, janitors, and delivery drivers, among other occupations,” Hochul said.
“If workers are forced to leave their jobs, employment in these industries will be significantly disrupted.”
The analysis noted that 70% of workers in the construction industry are foreign-born.
“A slowdown in the flow of new immigrants may cause labor shortages and delays in the completion of ongoing construction and negatively impact the available inventory,” Hochul’s analysis said.
Trump’s team is first planning on mass deportation of criminal migrants, and the expected raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has migrants fleeing the city’s migrant shelters.
Hochul’s report also noted that remote work has contributed to an exodus of New York residents to lower cost states.
“The New York City metro area’s high cost of living has contributed to a population decline in the region,” Hochul’s analysis said.
“The potential deportation of undocumented immigrants could further exacerbate the State’s population loss and labor shortages. A long-term decline in population remains a significant downside risk to both wages and employment.”
Conversely, New York City and the state could benefit if New York City’s population loss is less than anticipated and the immigration crackdown isn’t as restrictive as expected, the analysis concluded.
