When Seniors Call for Help, a 'Chain' Immigrant Often Answers

The Trump administration has proposed replacing the family-based chain migration immigration practice with one that prefers skilled immigrants, but economists think this could be harmful, reports the New York Times . "In any plausible future scenario, the United States needs far more new low-skilled workers than high-skilled workers, so many that it will be impossible for native labor to fill all those jobs, even if native workers wanted to," says Michael Clemens with the Center for Global Development. Personal care and home health aides are expected to be the most-needed new workers through 2026, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis. The Pew Research Center also estimates that more than 50 percent of aging baby boomers will require long-term care, and Conference Board economist Brian Schaitkin determined foreign-born immigrants comprised 26 percent of personal care aides and home health aides in 2017, while 62 percent of home aides in New York were foreign born. Advocates for immigration limits say low wages in senior caregiving are a key reason why immigrants have started displacing American workers in these jobs. Senior-care agencies are especially worried about an immigration overhaul because many rely on Medicaid and Medicare and therefore cannot easily increase wages to make caregiver positions more appealing to native-born workers. Should Congress restrict chain migration, "Where are all these workers going to come from?" asks Belmont Village founder Patricia Will.