Overview
- Construction executives reported in recent meetings with the White House and Congress that immigration raids are scaring off workers and raising building costs in a market short on supply.
- Politico’s reporting says a White House session included chief of staff Susie Wiles, Speaker Mike Johnson, and Republican lawmakers to discuss slippage with Hispanic voters tied to enforcement and affordability concerns.
- South Texas Builders Association CEO Mario Guerrero warned lawmakers that his region “will never be red again,” urging relief from enforcement at construction sites as workers fear showing up.
- The White House responded that American workers can fill vacancies, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson saying there is no shortage of “American minds and hands” as the administration emphasizes enforcing immigration laws.
- Context from industry and researchers underscores the stakes: NAHB estimates immigrants are one in four construction workers, the administration cites 605,000 deportations since 2025 plus 1.9 million self-departures, and Harvard’s JCHS warns removals could deepen chronic labor shortages; Rep. Monica De La Cruz has floated visa-streamlining proposals to address gaps.