11 hours ago
North Texas construction faces labor shortages, rising costs amid immigration crackdown, tariffs
They were already concerned about tariffs, but construction businesses in North Texas said they have new fears with the president's immigration crackdown.
Alan Hoffmann, an executive board member with the Dallas Builders' Association, said the current immigration enforcement is causing at least a 30% labor shortage within the industry in the metroplex. Hoffman said not only are current policies impacting them, but tariffs on certain materials as well.
"It's really in framing, concrete work, things like that, where those are harder labor jobs, and that's really where the shortage we're seeing is," said Hoffman. "If we're seeing higher costs for materials, higher costs for labor, that gets translated to the final price of the product. It's simple economics."
Meaning those costs get pushed to the home buyer or client. Hoffman said many contractors are also concerned about their rights if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement comes knocking on the door, which prompted the National Association of Home Builders to release guidance on how to handle these interactions. The 8-page pamphlet titled "When ICE Comes Calling" explains how an employer should prepare for a potential visit from ICE, what the law is, and how to respond to an administrative audit.
"It's a very disruptive reality," Hoffman said.
Martin Valko, an immigration attorney, said it's not just a concerning time for construction employers, but business owners across the board, everything from agriculture, hospitality and beyond.
"They're seeking advice, and you know legal advice, on what steps to take, what are the rights, what are their responsibilities, what are the rights and responsibilities of their employees, of their contractors," Valko said.
Valko said that currently, he receives two or three of these calls per day as immigration raids and arrests continue. He said while employment authorization and verification at a job site has always happened, he said it's never been this aggressive, but added that business owners should be prepared for anything.
"Be ready. Reach out to an immigration attorney that specializes, that focuses on worksite enforcement, and I-9s, enforcement and compliance, so that they can have it ready, they can have a plan. They know who to call," said Valko.
