If President Trump follows through on his campaign talking points regarding illegal immigration, the potential impact on the construction industry workforce could be devastating to say the least. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 30 percent of construction industry employees are Hispanic. In some areas of the country this percentage is substantially higher and a large proportion are immigrants.
Despite construction industryemployer’s best efforts to properly vet new hires by use of the mandatory I-9 process or through the discretionary use of the E-Verify system, people with false or stolen identification still make it through the records check. The relatively lax enforcement by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) against unauthorized workers in the recent past has caused at least some employers to relax their guard from taking reasonable precautions to ensure their workforces are documented and authorized to work in the country. In some extreme instances, including in the construction industry, some employers have turned a blind eye to the screening process.