With a rising number of construction sites being raided by immigration officers, we asked Equipment World readers whether they support creating new, streamlined legal paths for undocumented immigrants in the construction industry.
From the online readers' poll, 69.2% of respondents said they would support a streamlined immigration system to allow undocumented construction workers to fast-track their path to citizenship. The poll, which ran between August and September, collected 121 responses from contractors, equipment dealers and equipment manufacturers.
Among contractors, specifically, 77.6% supported a streamlined citizenship path for undocumented construction workers.
Among contractors opposing such programs, many viewed it as rewarding lawbreakers or being unfair to American citizens. Others expressed support for a quick path to legal immigration status but not citizenship.
One contractor said, “Don't reward them for breaking the law. Deport them. They are taking good paying jobs that legal American citizens deserve.”
Another contractor said, “They need to go out and come back the correct way. Green card and earn their citizenship. Part of that is a fine and potential repayment of the services that were abused.”
Contractors in support of some type of fast-track plan believe undocumented workers are more willing to do needed construction work than American citizens, and some contractors said, those willing to contribute to the United States could become citizens.
Others suggested undocumented workers could be given limited sponsorship programs through their current employers, or those who have already worked in the U.S. for several years could be put on a fast path to citizenship.
As one contractor put it, “Good experienced labor is in short supply. Undocumented immigrants already in the work force are indispensable!” Another said, “They are here to work, not cause trouble.”
“We have had a shortage of labor in the construction industry for the last 20 years or more,” said one contractor. “Many immigrants have better work ethic than many young Americans. Hopefully this would encourage more people that hard work is a good thing for our country, and not secondary to any other form of earning money.”
At this point, the Trump administration has not offered a plan for the construction industry. It has teased new policies for migrant farm workers to stay in the U.S., according to Politico. Trump has said he wants to work with farmers on the issue, possibly a “touchback” program, where illegal immigrants leave the country and re-enter soon after legally. However, no concrete details have been released yet.
A rising number of immigration raids and detentions from the Trump administration have had a notable impact on the construction industry. In response, a coalition of businesses, including 37 Associated General Contractors chapters, signed a letter to Trump on July 15 calling for a work permit program that would enable foreign workers to be in the U.S. legally.
Roughly 23% of construction workers in the U.S. are undocumented, according to a 2021 report from The Center for American Progress.
