South Texas builders press officials for action as rampant ICE raids roil construction sites and strain the region’s economy

More than 200 people gathered inside the Brookhaven Event Center in Pharr for a South Texas Builders Association meeting on Monday, aimed at connecting the construction industry with elected officials to share their concerns about immigration enforcement raids that have detained workers on the job. 

Fear rises as legal visa holders get detained

“We need to defend our industry. What’s going on now is affecting every major part of our industry, from lumber companies to lenders,” said Ronnie Cavazos, president of The Structure Team, a home builder based in McAllen. “Business is down significantly. If we continue on this trajectory, we will see a lot of businesses fail.” 

Cavazos said the issue is especially close to home in South Texas because many residents are naturalized U.S. citizens or have mixed immigration status families. Some workers have been pulled off job sites only to be released later because they did have legal work visas. 

Cavazos criticized the federal government’s treatment of immigrants.