Monica De La Cruz

A Texas Republican is reportedly planning to press the Trump administration to pursue new avenues that allow some undocumented migrants to work legally in the U.S. construction industry.

Representative Monica De La Cruz, a Republican from Edinburg, said she plans to explore ways for migrants to work legally in the construction sector, and intends to meet with officials from the U.S. Department of Labor to explore options after local industry leaders described the impact of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions at construction sites.

De La Cruz suggested creating a visa program specifically for construction workers, drawing a parallel with the existing H‑2A agricultural worker visa program, which permits foreign nationals to work seasonally in U.S. farming operations.

"They elected me to represent them in Washington, D.C., and to be their voice, even when it pushes against the Trump administration," De La Cruz reportedly said at the closed-down meetings, according to the Texas Tribune. "At the end of the day, I want to represent South Texas, and I want to represent our community and make sure that we continue to be prosperous."

Newsweek has contacted the office of De La Cruz for comment via email.

Why It Matters

The proposal comes amid frustration from Texas builders over how immigration enforcement has affected their workforce. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have arrested more than 9,100 people in South Texas over the past year, according to the Texas Tribune.

The administration is conducting widespread immigration arrests and removals under an aggressive mass deportation policy.

What To Know

Mario Guerrero, executive director of the South Texas Builders Association, said that during a closed-door meeting on Monday with De La Cruz builders discussed challenges facing the construction industry and raised questions about their rights when one of their sites is targeted by ICE officers, the Texas Tribune reported.

Texas’s booming construction industry is facing a labor crisis, as immigration crackdowns under President Trump’s administration cripple the workforce, one business leader told Newsweek.

Ruben Mercado Jr., president and owner of Ipsum General Contractors, LLC, has worked in construction for more than 30 years. He said the effects of federal immigration enforcement have reached a tipping point.

"Many of the undocumented workers have decided to stay at home in fear of being picked up by ICE and being deported. This has placed a huge pressure in our industry, affecting us in many ways," Mercado Jr told Newsweek.

"This includes a shortage of workforce. This shortage has impacted our ability to deliver our projects on time. This also has affected our bottom line due to an increase in payroll expenses."

"We are forced to hire inexperienced laborers at higher rates to replace our employees. Many times, these replacements are less knowledgeable in the skills needed to complete the tasks at hand."

There is bipartisan support among lawmakers for establishing new legal pathways that would allow migrants to work and contribute to the economy, helping fill labor shortages that have been exacerbated by increased immigration enforcement.

De La Cruz recently introduced the Fair Wages for Farm Workers Act (FWFA) to streamline and reform the H‑2A agricultural worker program by codifying two Trump-era Department of Labor and Homeland Security rulemakings. The bill updates how the Adverse Effect Wage Rate is calculated and allows USCIS to begin processing H‑2A petitions while the Labor Department reviews applications.

A bill in Congress introduced by Representative Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania in September aims to expand temporary work opportunities for foreign laborers in nonagricultural sectors, allowing employers to hire international workers when domestic labor is unavailable.

The Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act proposes a new H‑2C nonimmigrant visa, modeled on the existing H‑2B seasonal worker program, to address labor shortages in essential industries, targeting positions that have remained unfilled for three consecutive months and in regions where unemployment is 7.9% or lower.

It has been officially referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary, along with the Committees on Ways and Means and Oversight and Government Reform, for consideration, but has not yet received a committee vote or moved toward a full floor debate or vote.

What People Are Saying

Ruben Mercado Jr., president and owner of Ipsum General Contractors, told Newsweek: "I have lost over 25 percent of my workforce because they have decided to stay at home for the fear of being picked up by ICE. A few of our subcontractors have also been affected. One in particular has lost two-thirds of their workforce for the same reason."

"The public needs to realize how important these immigrants are to our community. In Houston, one-third of the construction workforce are undocumented immigrants. Deporting these workers would affect the Houston GDP by over $50 billion over the next ten years."

Andrew Good, Director, State Government Relations at NumbersUSA, a right-leaning think tank, told Newsweek: "Our ability to build housing and infrastructure in the United States has not been historically correlated to high levels of immigration, and certainly not reliant on high levels of illegal immigration. While investors and employers would certainly prefer to pay rock-bottom wages, building cheaply hasn't proved to be a panacea for aspiring homeowners.

"Young Texans aren't more likely to be homeowners, Texans can't seem to afford the ample available inventory, and their biggest threat is future mass migration that would again drive home appreciation inflation out of sight like it did the last four years. Not only are President Trump's immigration policies not a crisis for Texas, they provide the best hope possible for a new prosperity as wide as a Texas brim."

The news cycle is loud. Algorithms push us to extremes. In the middle—where facts, ideas and progress live—there's a void. At Newsweek, we fill it with fearless, fair and fiercely independent journalism.

Common ground isn't just possible—it's essential. Our readers reflect America's diversity, united by a desire for thoughtful, unbiased news. Independent ratings confirm our approach: NewsGuard gives us 100/100 for reliability, and AllSides places us firmly in the political center.

In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. Ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.

When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy:

Conventional Wisdom: Tracking political winds with clarity.

Uncommon Knowledge: Deep dives into overlooked truths.

Ad-free browsing and exclusive editor conversations.