On a frigid morning in Myers Park, Carlos works diligently to renovate a patio and install a new jacuzzi. Carlos moved from Venezuela three years ago with temporary protected status (TPS), which allows him to work, but he鈥檚 unsure what鈥檚 next. President Trump recently revoked TPS status for Venezuelans.
鈥淲ell, one tries to get to the workplace that one does every day, hoping to get through the day and, well, come back home with God's will and not be stopped by ICE,鈥� Carlos said.
Carlos left his wife, kids and extended family in Venezuela to provide a better life for them.
鈥淚 have a nephew with special needs, and a large part of why I came to the United States is because of him,鈥� Carlos said. 鈥淗ere I am, trying to give a better quality of life to everyone around me.鈥�
His co-worker Olexi, who is also working with him, is a Venezuelan immigrant on humanitarian parole.
鈥淥ne cannot escape hearing the rumors in the street,鈥� Olexi said. 鈥淭he situations in different parts of the country are a strong blow because the construction industry is mostly moved by the hand of immigrants.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 promise of mass deportations is stirring fear in the construction industry. Around 30% of construction workers in the U.S. are immigrants. Here, in North Carolina, it鈥檚 about a quarter.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a little rough to find those guys because nobody鈥檚 willing to get in the cars and drive 鈥� nobody feels safe,鈥� said SunSouth Carolinas President Carlos Calzadilla.
Calzadilla鈥檚 company builds outdoor living spaces in the Charlotte area. He says he and his employees have had to work overtime and on weekends because there are not enough workers.
鈥淎s a construction company, we try to plan everything six months, one year, or even two years,鈥� Calzadilla said. 鈥淚t gets super hard for us to plan projects if we鈥檙e not going to have employees to do so.鈥�
SunSouth Carolinas is not the only company facing staffing shortages. CT Wilson Construction Company, located 150 miles from Charlotte in Durham, has the same problem.
鈥淲e have a tough time finding employees,鈥� CT Wilson Construction Company鈥檚 President Charlie Wilson said. 鈥淲e are seeing a lot of general fear amongst all of our employees.鈥�
Wilson says Trump鈥檚 immigration policies will have more drastic effects, not just on construction, but also on the economy.
鈥淪ixty to 70% of the people on one of our job sites at any given day are Hispanic immigrants,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淥ur economy is not going to grow unless we have the workforce to do the work.鈥�
About 20% of construction workers nationwide are undocumented, but Trump鈥檚 proposed deportations extend beyond undocumented immigrants, potentially affecting those with TPS or temporary statuses, such as DACA recipients.
鈥淚f the deportations actually happen, not only are you going to get higher no-show rates, but you鈥檙e going to have more and more firms that don鈥檛 have enough people to bid on construction projects,鈥� said Brian Turmail of Associated General Contractors of America.
Associated General Contractors of America is pushing for immigration reform that secures the border but provides legal pathways for undocumented immigrants who work in construction.
鈥淚f they鈥檝e been here, they鈥檝e been putting their boots on every morning, they鈥檙e just working hard," Turmail said. "They want to be part of the American dream. Let鈥檚 give them an earned path to legal status.鈥�
In 2021, construction accounted for more than $28 billion of North Carolina鈥檚 gross domestic product (GDP), with the average pay for a North Carolina construction worker at $22 an hour. Construction worker Olexi says a legal pathway for immigrants that requires them to pay taxes can benefit the U.S.
鈥淟ook for a way to give legal status to the immigrant workforce,鈥� Olexi said. 鈥淲hy? Because that allows for more income that is beneficial for the United States with respect to taxes.鈥�
As federal policies remain uncertain, Carlos and Olexi continue their work, finishing the patio to support their families here in the U.S. and abroad.
