It is no question that the construction sector is struggling to find qualified employees. It is also a sector where many foreign-born workers find success, but the increased efforts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have sent shockwaves through the industry, making it even harder to attract and retain talent at a time when demand is high.
In September, the Department of Homeland Security said that ICE had deported 400,000 people and that an estimated 1.6 million had self-deported, many of whom were day laborers.
ICE has established checkpoints and attended construction sites, arresting workers and creating an air of fear amongst both documented and undocumented workers, as on average, one in three construction workers is foreign-born.
Immigrants are represented in many trades, such as plasterers and stucco masons, drywall and ceiling tile installers, roofers, painters, and flooring installers, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), roles that are in high demand in the homebuilding industry, where a shortage persists. This is slowing the pace of projects and driving up costs, while making it ever more difficult to secure talent.
According to the Home Building Institute (HBI), shortages of workers are estimated to cost $11 billion annually and a report by the non-partisan Economic Policy Institute noted that if the Trump administration meets its goal of deporting four million people by the end of 2028, 1.4 million immigrants who work in the construction industry will be lost, making it harder to meet project deadlines and driving up project and labor costs, particularly when there is limited domestic labor supply.
According to a survey by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) that it conducted over the summer, 92 percent of construction firms struggle to fill positions, while 28 percent said they were affected by immigration actions. Five percent of respondents said that ICE agents had visited a job site, 10 percent noted they had lost workers due to actual or rumored raids, and 20 percent reported concerns for subcontractors who have also lost employees.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in an emailed statement: “There is no shortage of American minds and hands to grow our labor force, and President Trump’s agenda to create jobs for American workers represents this Administration’s commitment to capitalizing on that untapped potential while delivering on our mandate to enforce our immigration laws.”
However, even workers with work permits and green cards are concerned for their livelihoods, as many of them have been stopped by ICE agents on their way to and from work, behind held for hours before being released.
