Project timelines, safety, supply chain challenges and economic headwinds have long caused headaches for construction companies and their site managers — not to mention workforce issues. Anxiety can prevail on construction worksites in the current political climate of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and escalated deportations.
Construction is a crucial part of the American economy, fueling growth from coast to coast while creating ever-rising demand for skilled workers who can complete the job safely and do it well. Around 25% of American construction workers were immigrants as of 2024, according to Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. However, that percentage is often higher in states like California and Texas. In 2023 alone, the industry employed 3.3 million immigrants, USAFacts reported.
Without immigrant labor in construction, projects will come to a halt, contracts will be lost and consumers will face rising prices, the American Business Immigration coalition warns. The federal government has toughened its immigration policies and enforcement tactics even as the construction industry struggles to find the skilled workers willing to do the labor the industry and nation need to expand everything from office space to infrastructure. And cultivating a reliable construction workforce today and in the future will only become more difficult.
Immigration Policy & the Workforce
As mass deportation becomes the new normal, the immigration issue is now front and center once again in the construction industry. Managers must depend on having a workforce that reliably shows up on time, understands instructions and safety, and is ready to execute on the tasks required for complicated, multifaceted project deadlines. If managers cannot rely on 25% or more of their workforce to show up on time or at all to complete a project, the problems mount. Everything from architectural oversight to inspection to permitting to meeting timelines could crumble like a proverbial house of cards.
Attrition only compounds the situation. Can construction sites finish projects, in whole or in part, when managers cannot reliably predict whether a major portion of their workforce will show up at 7 a.m. or be around to finish the job in two or three weeks? Construction jobs require certain skills, precision and safety practices that only well-trained workers carry along with their toolboxes.
Navigating These Challenges
Construction employers and site managers bear a responsibility to communicate about immigration issues with their workers in ways those workers can understand, so everyone can focus on getting their jobs done. While managers feel the pressure of maintaining and protecting their workforces, the workers feel a different pressure about being separated from their families.
It’s important to emphasize with immigrant workers that they’ve been hired to do a job, management respects their contributions and efforts, and management is cognizant of the challenges they face.
Leadership should be educated and trained on immigration issues, so they can put their workers at ease and protect them within reason. Leadership sets the tone for how workers feel on jobsites, so train leadership to respond calmly and thoughtfully to any questions immigrant workers might have to quell their fears and help them refocus on the work. Discuss issues at meetings and develop clear tactics with HR and company leadership to keep everyone on the same page.
For example, many jobsites display signage that reads: “No unauthorized entry.” A construction manager could reassure workers that no one will enter the worksite without their knowledge. If ICE shows up at a construction site, management should be called to the entry point and to protect immigrant workers to the extent they can legally. This reinforces that managers do not want to see workers arrested and that those workers are a protected, needed and valued part of the team.
While there is only so much a manager can do legally, they can share helpful immigration resources without creating fear or liability, such as posting signage in break rooms or at the jobsite that details federal immigration policies.
Furthermore, managers can distribute the Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s “Red Cards” (Tarjetas Rojas) to immigrant workers. These cards, available in 56 languages, are pocket-sized quick references detailing constitutional rights and protections both legal citizens and undocumented immigrants have. Namely, that they legally don’t have to open their doors, don’t have to answer questions, should not sign any documents without first speaking to a lawyer and should show the card to any law enforcement agent.
Make sure immigrant workers are aware of local immigrant organizations, nonprofits, churches and vetted legal partners that provide meaningful help to their communities.
Finally, the Appleseed Network offers the Deportation Preparation Manual (deportationpreparation.org), a free, anonymous online tool that allows immigrant families to make practical, confidential plans for deportation. This easy-to-use, fully searchable guide covers child custody arrangements, safeguarding finances, powers of attorney and more. The manual is private, available in English and Spanish, and guided by attorneys and experts nationwide.
Employers can share the manual with workers or simply familiarize themselves with its contents to better understand what employees may be experiencing and how they can prepare. Using the manual to make a plan can help immigrants protect their families and finances, and it can empower those workers during unpredictable times.
Editor’s Note: Have thoughts, counterpoints or best practices on how your leadership is managing immigrant laborers and/or your workforce is being affected by immigration policies? We’re interested in hearing from you — email the team at mbeam@cahabamedia.com.