A growing number of Washington, D.C. construction projects are being delayed as immigrant workers — the backbone of the region’s building industry — stay home out of fear of immigration raids under President Trump’s renewed enforcement push, according to multiple contractors who spoke with Axios.
The capital’s commercial and residential job sites are seeing widespread slowdowns and rising costs as labor shortages intensify. Contractors say many crews have simply stopped showing up, while others are refusing to take jobs inside D.C. altogether, preferring the relative safety of Maryland and Virginia job sites.
“They say the worker shortages are stalling timelines and driving up costs on commercial and residential projects,” Axios reported. One D.C. contractor put it bluntly: “I think about Trump’s ballroom. How’s that going to get built?”
The heightened anxiety stems from Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies. According to the National Immigration Forum, the construction industry depends heavily on workers from South and Central America, many of whom are undocumented.
Recent surveys reinforce the growing disruption. Nearly one-third of construction firms reported being affected by immigration enforcement in recent months, according to a joint study by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). An overwhelming 92% of contractors also said they’re struggling to find qualified workers — a record high.
Workers are changing daily routines to stay under the radar. A Maryland-based contractor told Axios that many no longer drive company vans or trucks with ladders attached because they draw attention. Instead, crews are carpooling or avoiding the Metro, wary of being stopped or questioned.
“Many workers can’t even go to Home Depot or Lowe’s for supplies anymore,” another contractor said, “because they’re worried ICE agents are targeting those places.”
The Maryland contractor added that their firm has stopped posting signs at D.C. job sites out of fear they’ll attract unwanted attention from immigration authorities.
Meanwhile, a Virginia-based contractor described a more devastating consequence — two of their workers were detained while driving; one was deported, and the other’s whereabouts remain unknown.
But fear extends beyond documentation status. “Many Latino workers are fearful of being targeted due to their ethnicity, regardless of their status,” the contractor said.
Officials, however, reject the notion of ethnic profiling. Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, told Axios that such reports are “false.”
“What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the U.S.,” she said.
The White House echoed that stance. Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson, emphasized that “many of the immigrants arrested during this operation were committing crimes or had outstanding warrants and prior convictions.”
Still, according to CBS News, nearly 40% of more than 3,500 arrests made during Trump’s D.C. crackdown as of Sept. 29 were immigration-related — underscoring the scale of enforcement.
For developers and residents alike, the impact could soon be tangible. Contractors warn that shrinking labor pools and disrupted workforces are driving construction costs higher — an issue compounded by tariffs and inflation.
“If this keeps up, consumers are going to feel it,” one contractor said. “Prices will rise, and timelines will stretch.”
Analysts say the situation could further slow D.C.’s post-pandemic recovery, especially as city leaders push for revitalization and economic diversification.
“It’s just this never-ending onslaught,” lamented the Maryland-based contractor. “Between the pandemic, tariffs, and now immigration crackdowns, there’s only so much the industry can take.”
If these trends persist, experts warn D.C.’s construction slowdown could spread to infrastructure and housing projects, stalling urban revitalization efforts at a critical moment. With local leaders advocating for innovation and affordability, a paralyzed labor force may make those goals harder — and more expensive — to achieve.
Originally reported by Mimi Montgomery in Axios.
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