Immigration Raids Shake the U.S. Construction Industry

• Florida: Raids Halt Construction Projects
• Migrants Fear Deportation
• Construction Industry Faces Labor Crisis

Immigration raids at construction sites have triggered alarm within the US construction industry.

In states like Florida and Louisiana, the detention of migrant workers is causing absenteeism, work stoppages, and widespread fear.

Florida: Epicenter of the Immigration Crisis

Why It Matters

The intensification of immigration raids at construction sites in Florida, Louisiana, and other states is creating a crisis in one of the industries most dependent on immigrant labor.

With 25% of its workforce coming from abroad—and up to 75% in cities like Miami—the sector faces a direct threat to its operations and its ability to meet the rising demand for housing.

The Bigger Picture

Operations led by federal and state authorities have resulted in the detention of more than 100 migrants in a single raid in Tallahassee, Florida.

This occurred just two weeks after another raid in The Villages, also in Florida, where more than two dozen people were arrested.

Raids have also begun to spread to other states like New York and Louisiana, sparking fear, labor absenteeism, and project shutdowns.

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What Workers Are Saying About the Immigration Crisis in Florida

Aarón Pineda, a Honduran construction worker in Miami with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), shared his concern:

“We Latinos are the ones who move this country forward.”

“If it weren’t for Latinos, nothing would move here—we’re the driving force of progress.”

“Nowadays, you live in fear with everything going on, things we’ve never seen before,” he told EFE.

Key Figures

The American Immigration Council estimates that 25.7% of construction workers are immigrants, and 14.1% are undocumented.

In Florida, 432,100 migrants work in construction, representing two-thirds of the state’s total construction workforce.

Florida Faces Imminent Economic Impact Due to Immigration Raids

Ned Murray, associate director of the Metropolitan Center at Florida International University (FIU), warned:

“It’s well documented that construction is perhaps the industry that would be most harmed by deportations—or any disruption, frankly—of this critical labor market that depends on immigrants.”

Ongoing Housing Crisis

Since 2018, Florida has been experiencing a housing crisis, worsened by the pandemic.

The influx of new residents has driven up demand while housing supply has stagnated.

According to the Urban Institute, the country faces a deficit of 3.7 million housing units, and rental and purchase prices are at record highs.

What Lies Ahead for Undocumented Construction Workers

A report by Jorge González-Hermoso, Christina Plerhoples Stacy, and Hamutal Bernstein warns that:

If mass deportation promises are fulfilled, the country could lose up to 1.8 million undocumented construction workers.

At the same time, at least 454,000 new workers will be needed in 2025 to meet housing demand.

The Position of Migrant Advocates

The Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) has denounced the raids, saying they create “a climate of persecution” and paralyze a sector that depends on those being arrested.

Thomas Kennedy, an analyst at FLIC, strongly stated:

“If we scare off the people willing and able to work under the Florida sun on these construction jobs, I don’t know how we’re going to keep up with the kinds of essential projects we need.”

The Official Stance

Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier have publicly defended the measures.

“In Florida, we are leading the effort to help the Trump Administration enforce federal immigration law,” Uthmeier posted following the Tallahassee raid.

Do you think toughening immigration policies will negatively affect the U.S. economy?

SOURCE: EFE