# Study warns Kentucky faces economic risks from mass deportations  
**Published:** 2026-04-29T17:08:48.000Z  
**Source:** [KY Center for Economic Policy](https://kypolicy.org/the-economic-impact-of-mass-deportation-in-kentucky/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/study-warns-kentucky-faces-economic-risks-from-mass-deportations

The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy released a report this week examining the potential economic fallout if federal mass deportation efforts continue at current levels, warning that the state's critical labor shortages could deepen and costs for essential services could rise significantly.

According to the [Kentucky Center for Economic Policy report](https://kypolicy.org/the-economic-impact-of-mass-deportation-in-kentucky/), more than 230,000 immigrants—about 4% of Kentucky's population—contribute substantially to the state economy through work, taxes, and spending. Removing them from the workforce would eliminate approximately 112,700 workers in their prime earning years, ages 25 to 54.

The findings come as [immigration enforcement in Kentucky has intensified dramatically](https://kypolicy.org/ice-enforcement-in-kentucky/). Nearly 2,000 people were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement between January 20 and October 15, 2025, a 32% increase from the previous year. The deportation rate has surged to 4.6 times higher than before the current administration took office.

Three sectors would be particularly vulnerable to workforce losses, the report notes. Restaurants employ about 3,700 immigrant cooks and 600 immigrant chefs. The construction industry has 12,000 immigrant workers representing 8% of the state's construction workforce—a significant loss at a time when Kentucky is projected to face a shortage of nearly 300,000 homes by the end of the decade. Agriculture, another cornerstone of Kentucky's economy, would face severe staffing challenges.

Beyond employment gaps, the report warns that Kentuckians would face higher prices for food, childcare, housing and medical care due to worker shortages driving up costs for goods and services.

[Data analyzed by Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting](https://www.lpm.org/investigate/2026-04-07/ice-arrests-deportations-up-in-kentucky-under-trump) shows that between Trump's inauguration and March 10, 2026, ICE agents made approximately 3,500 arrests linked to Kentucky offices in Louisville and Bowling Green. The deportation rate has risen from 42% under the previous administration to 78% currently.

State participation in immigration enforcement has also expanded. [Kentucky now has 36 local law enforcement agencies with 287(g) agreements](https://kypolicy.org/ice-enforcement-in-kentucky/)—which authorize state and local officers to enforce federal immigration law—and 11 local jails that contract with ICE for detention capacity. Several bills proposed in the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly would mandate such cooperation statewide, though some lawmakers and advocacy groups have raised concerns about civil rights implications.

## Sources

- [KY Center for Economic Policy](https://kypolicy.org/the-economic-impact-of-mass-deportation-in-kentucky/)
- [Kentucky Center for Economic Policy - Amid Mounting Harms, Kentucky Is Ramping Up Anti-Immigrant Enforcement](https://kypolicy.org/ice-enforcement-in-kentucky/)
- [Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting - ICE arrests, deportations up in Kentucky under Trump](https://www.lpm.org/investigate/2026-04-07/ice-arrests-deportations-up-in-kentucky-under-trump)

---

This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from KY Center for Economic Policy, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://kypolicy.org/the-economic-impact-of-mass-deportation-in-kentucky/.