US Immigration Slowdown: A Nation Transformed, From Hospitals to Small Towns

• President Donald Trump's renewed immigration crackdown has significantly reduced net immigration to 450,000 annually, down from 2-3 million.
• Essential services like hospitals in states such as West Virginia and construction face severe labor shortages, with vacant posts and project delays.
• Small towns, once revitalized by immigrants (e.g., Marshalltown, Iowa), are now struggling with declining populations and services.
• Immigrant families face uncertainty, impacting community services like daycare and schools as work authorizations are paused.
• Historical data from the 1920s suggests immigration restrictions can lead to innovation slowdowns; an aging US population needs immigrant labor for care.

Why It Matters: Slowing immigration profoundly reshapes the US, leading to labor shortages, aging communities, and diminished global appeal.