Government figures show that one in four construction workers nationwide was born outside the US. In some of the largest housing markets in the country, that number is even higher. Foreign-born workers hold 53 percent of all construction jobs in New York City, and an estimated half of the construction workforce in Texas is undocumented.

Of the nearly 12 million construction workers, 1.5 million — or 13 percent — are unauthorized immigrants, according to the Pew Research Center’s 2022 estimates, the most recent available.

Both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have proposed cracking down on illegal immigration, though on very different scales. He has promised to deport all unauthorized migrants, while she will further restrict border crossings.

Economists say a big cut would not be good for the overall economy, especially for sectors like construction and agriculture. A strained workforce could lead to housing shortages and higher costs. And Americans displaced by natural disasters could face longer wait times before they can return to their homes.

There are currently a record 8.3 million construction workers in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Barring the outbreak of the pandemic, wages have risen nearly every month since hitting a post-financial crisis low in 2011.

However, the trade group Associated Builders and Contractors estimated earlier this year that the industry needed half a million more workers to meet demand.

“Labor markets are still extremely tight in the construction industry,” Brian Turmail, vice president of public affairs and strategic initiative at the Associated General Contractors of America. “The word immigration for whatever reason has become a little nuclear in the US dialogue.”

Trump has capitalized on anti-immigration rhetoric to fuel his base. He promised to carry out “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,” which would deport unauthorized immigrants, among other proposals. That would result in “a very rapid and very large impact on construction,” according to Dean Baker, senior economist at the Center for Economic Policy and Research.

“President Trump’s mass deportation of illegal immigrants will not only make our communities safer, it will save Americans from footing the bill for years to come,” Republican National Committee spokesman Taylor Rogers said in a statement. – a statement.

Harris, meanwhile, supports a bipartisan immigration bill drafted by senators earlier this year that would make it harder to apply for asylum and speed up deportations — though it would also add more visas for legal immigration.

Baker said her policies could be another hurdle for the industry and make rebuilding and housing efforts more difficult and expensive to achieve. The Harris campaign did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The election is approaching just as communities in the southeast begin to rebuild after storms made landfall over the past month. Amber Lawson, a principal at Georgia-based Aspire Construction & Design, said many of her company’s subcontractors, such as roofers and carpenters, are being retooled to help rebuild. Lack of labor and materials could force her to delay the start of a separate apartment complex outside Atlanta, she said.

“I’m looking to see the effects of the labor shortage in the next month or two,” Lawson said. “It really makes an already tight market that much tighter.”

Amid rebuilding efforts in Florida, Saket Soni, executive director of Resilience Force — a nonprofit organization that organizes and advocates for disaster relief workers — said mayors and governors are depending on relief teams to get residents back on their feet. to their homes as soon as possible. But the US needs immigration policies that ensure a larger pool of skilled workers.

“The immigration policy we really need is one that recognizes that and institutionalizes these workers, gives them a way to stay in this country, and contributes to our continued adaptation and resilience to the disasters we know are coming,” he Sonny said. “The entire recovery and long-term rebuilding after hurricanes depends on immigrant labor.”