President Donald Trump’s pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants has construction-industry watchers concerned about what enforcement operations might mean for the industry’s workforce, laborer working conditions and housing prices. Nationally, foreign-born workers, regardless of legal status, fill an estimated 30% of trade jobs like carpentry, plastering, masonry and electrical roles. According to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. construction industry employs an estimated 1.5 million undocumented workers, about 13% of its total workforce. A 2024 study from the University of Utah showed mass deportations lead to a decline in homebuilding and higher housing costs, while as many as half of the positions vacated by deported employees were not filled by American workers, particularly in lower-skilled occupations. The same study found housing prices for new builds jumped 18% after mass deportations between 2008 and 2013. Prices for existing housing stock climbed by 10%. Read more in the Pottstown Mercury.
Source: Pottstown Mercury; 2/10/2025