Every day, construction workers build America — homes, schools, bridges, and roads. But across the country, that vital work is being disrupted and endangered by immigration raids that create fear, chaos, and tragedy on job sites.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stepped up enforcement actions that target construction workers as they travel to or from work, or even while they are on-site. In some cases, frightened workers have fled in panic, leading to injuries and even deaths. Employers report losing skilled workers overnight, and projects are delayed for weeks — costing communities time and money and deepening a national housing and infrastructure crisis.

The construction industry already faces a severe labor shortage: nearly one in three construction workers is foreign-born, and 92% of firms report difficulty hiring. Without these workers, projects stall and costs rise for everyone.

No one should risk being detained, questioned, or deported simply for showing up to do their job. Construction sites must be treated as sensitive locations — like schools, hospitals, and churches — where ICE cannot conduct raids without a criminal warrant or imminent safety concern.

We call on:

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to formally designate all construction job sites as safe zones exempt from routine immigration enforcement.
• The Department of Labor to issue clear worker-protection guidelines ensuring that contractors and employees are not penalized or intimidated by immigration operations while on the job.

America’s construction workers — documented and undocumented alike — are the backbone of our growth and recovery. They deserve respect, safety, and dignity while they work.

Sign to demand that construction sites be made safe zones — and that ICE stay off job sites where people are simply trying to build a better country.

Photo: Tony Gutierrez/AP