Immigration enforcement operations across Texas are disrupting construction projects, shrinking job-site crews and raising alarms among builders who say the state’s rapid growth depends heavily on immigrant labor.
In the Rio Grande Valley, residential contractor Benny Meléndez said the impact became personal when one of his workers failed to show up to pour concrete early one morning.
After multiple unanswered calls, he reached the worker’s wife.
“Come. ICE just took him,” she said.
The employee had worked on Meléndez’s crew for several months but lacked legal authorization to work in the United States. His visa had expired, and he did not have legal status at the time of his detention. According to Meléndez, immigration authorities detained the worker off-site while he was heading to another project task.
“He was the first one that affected me directly,” Meléndez said. “Then they took two more workers.”
In recent weeks, contractors across South Texas have reported operations conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement near construction sites, with workers detained while arriving or leaving work.
The fear is spreading beyond the border region.
“You’re always afraid,” said Juan Carrasco, a builder in Austin. “It’s like flipping a coin. It could happen to you or not. I keep working, hoping it won’t happen, even though I know it can.”
In June 2025, ICE arrested 25 workers at two construction sites in Brownsville and South Padre Island, according to an agency statement. In West Texas, nine people were detained in January during a raid at a Midland construction site, local news outlets reported.
Isaac Smith, co-owner of Matt’s Building Materials, which operates in Pharr, San Benito, Palmview and Harlingen, said immigrant labor is essential to keeping projects on track.
“All trades — foundations, concrete, carpentry, drywall, painting, stucco, roofing, electricity, plumbing — depend heavily on immigrant workers, many of them undocumented,” he said.
Mario Guerrero, executive director of the South Texas Builders Association, said construction remains one of the strongest drivers of economic growth statewide, supporting employment, housing development and regional investment.
“Construction is the backbone of the economy; it always has been,” he said. “But here in South Texas, nearly 10,000 people have been detained. If this continues, everything will get worse.”
The Texas Workforce Report 2024–2025 shows construction employment reached nearly 913,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2025 — a 4.8% increase over 2024 and a 13.4% rise over five years. The report forecasts 10.7% growth between 2022 and 2032, requiring roughly 82,000 additional workers over the next decade.
“Between 2023 and 2024, more than half of Texas’ population growth came from immigration,” said Lloyd Porter, the state demographer. “The construction industry relies on that workforce to sustain urban and residential growth.”
Porter noted that high demand, persistent labor shortages and financial pressures make construction particularly vulnerable to changes in immigration enforcement and labor policy.
The owner of a construction company in the Rio Grande Valley, who requested anonymity due to concerns about regulatory or business repercussions, said subcontractors began arriving with reduced crews earlier this year.
“They came with half the team,” the contractor said. “That’s when we understood that the raids were directly affecting the job sites.”
Eric Jiménez, a builder in Dallas, said workers are increasingly reluctant to travel freely.
“Many don’t go out on weekends because of fear,” Jiménez said. “Last week, two were stopped at a gas station and asked for their papers. It causes panic.”
The Valley contractor estimated that residential construction activity has slowed by 30% to 40% in some areas. Projects that once took four months to complete are now stretching to seven or nine months.
“A house that used to take four months now can take seven or even nine,” the contractor said.
Meléndez echoed those concerns.
“We have projects that were supposed to be delivered this summer and now are weeks or even months behind,” Meléndez said. “When you don’t have full crews, everything moves slower.”
Beyond job-site delays, builders report financial ripple effects. Guerrero said construction loans have fallen by 30% over the past year, and suppliers are struggling to coordinate deliveries as labor shortages disrupt schedules.
“We don’t think businesses and the economy can sustain this,” Guerrero said. “We need an immediate halt to enforcement measures at construction sites.”
In response, representatives from the South Texas Builders Association traveled to Washington, D.C., during the week of Feb. 9–15 to meet with federal officials at the White House and members of Congress.
Guerrero said the group outlined the region’s labor shortages, delayed projects and growing financial-sector anxiety over the slowdown in new construction.
“We were able to show what we are seeing here in South Texas and make them aware of our concerns,” Guerrero said.
The meetings did not produce immediate policy changes. In February comments to Newsweek, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the administration does not view the country as facing a structural labor shortage.
.jpg)
“The president’s agenda to create jobs for American workers represents this administration’s commitment to capitalize on untapped potential while fulfilling our mandate to enforce immigration laws,” Jackson said.
Association leaders say discussions with federal officials will continue. Guerrero plans to return to Washington to follow up and press for clarity on how enforcement actions will be applied at active construction sites.
For now, contractors remain in limbo — navigating project backlogs, labor uncertainty and financial strain while awaiting clearer guidance.
Meléndez said industry leaders hope upcoming talks will provide greater certainty and possibly pathways to stabilize the workforce without violating existing laws.
“Construction is the strength of our economy and our community,” Meléndez said. “If they attack us, it affects everyone. That’s why we will keep fighting, for our people and for our work.”
Originally reported by By Erika Gonzalez and Photography By Erika Gonzalez in Reporting Texas.
.webp)
.webp)
