Losing Status: An Estimated 3.5 Million Previously Protected Immigrants in the U.S. Are Projected to Lose Status by 2028

From a FWD.us press release:

"Today, FWD.us released a new report with original data and projections as part of the “Losing Status” website, detailing the alarming human and economic consequences from the loss of status for previously protected immigrants over the course of the second Trump administration.

When President Trump took office in early 2025, an estimated 6.1 million immigrants in this country had temporary protection from deportation, granted to them by our government. These include Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, people with parole, and people with a pending asylum application, among others. Many had authorized work permits as well. They followed the law, registered with the government, passed background checks, contributed to our communities and our economy, and built their lives here.

The new report tracks how, since 2025, the Trump administration has actively terminated numerous protections while also implementing new policies that have forced well more than one million previously protected immigrants out of status, shrinking the workforce and exposing them and their families to the threat of deportation. We then project how those losses will accelerate and grow in the coming years if these trends continue, growing to 3.5 million immigrants losing status by 2028.   

Projections are based on a scenario where all remaining TPS designations are terminated; some DACA recipients continue to lose status due to court orders and processing delays; new restrictions on asylum eligibility and significant increases in asylum application denials; and the expiration of work permits for individuals in visa backlogs, among other developments. These projections are a baseline under current trends; additional policy changes, legislative efforts, or legal decisions could keep some protections in place, or increase losses further. See the full report for detailed scenario assumptions.

Key Data Findings from the Report:

·    For context, by the end of 2025, some 500,000 people had lost protections because of terminations and changes to TPS, parole programs, and other policies, forcing them out of the workforce and exposing them to the administration’s aggressive ramp-up in deportations. More than 300,000 fewer workers were in the labor force, forfeiting $11 billion in annual economic contributions. 

·    Looking to the end of 2026, 2.2 million people are projected to lose status if remaining TPS designations are terminated and new restrictions on asylum accelerate status losses. Of those, more than 1.2 million would have been in the workforce, including in critical industries like construction and manufacturing. 

·    By the end of this administration in 2028, based on current trends and anticipated policy changes, 3.5 million are projected to have lost protection from deportation, including DACA recipients due to backlogs and processing delays. The harm will extend to more than a million U.S. citizen children whose parents or other household members will have lost status.

·    The cumulative economic impact of forcing millions of people out of the workforce is $79 billion in economic contributions, including $24 billion in tax revenue. . . ."