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Report on the Impact of U.S. Immigration Enforcement on the Construction Sector and Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

Recent increases in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities on construction sites are creating significant uncertainty and operational challenges. These enforcement actions directly impact the construction industry’s ability to contribute to several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). This report analyzes the immediate and long-term consequences of these policies on labor availability, project timelines, and the pursuit of sustainable development.

Impact on Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)

The crackdown on undocumented workers directly undermines the principles of SDG 8 by disrupting labor markets and hindering economic productivity within the construction sector.

• Exacerbated Labor Shortages: The industry already faces a significant skilled worker shortage. Raids and deportations remove a segment of the workforce, making it more difficult for employers to find labor. The number of unfilled job openings increased from 7.2 million to 7.8 million between January and March, a trend partially attributed to employers seeking to replace undocumented workers.
• Project Delays and Economic Inefficiency: A reduced labor pool leads to longer project completion times. Industry analysis suggests that recent increases in contractor backlogs may not indicate a healthy pipeline but rather an inability to complete existing projects on schedule, which impedes economic growth.
• Threats to Decent Work: The climate of fear created by raids leads to increased worker absences and precarious working conditions. This environment runs counter to the goal of providing decent and secure employment for all workers, including migrants.

Implications for Reduced Inequalities and Justice (SDG 10 & SDG 16)

The enforcement policies disproportionately affect a vulnerable migrant population, highlighting systemic issues related to inequality and access to justice, which are central to SDG 10 and SDG 16.

Key Observations:

1. Targeting Vulnerable Populations: The policies specifically target undocumented immigrants, a group with limited legal protections. Reports of “collateral damage,” where legally present or non-targeted individuals are also impacted, further exacerbate inequalities (SDG 10).
2. Erosion of Institutional Trust: While compliance systems like I-9 and E-Verify are in place, they are not foolproof against fraudulent documentation. The resulting uncertainty and fear on jobsites challenge the creation of just and inclusive institutions (SDG 16). Contractors have resorted to posting signs requiring warrants for ICE entry, indicating a breakdown in trust.
3. Legislative Pathways to Equality: Proposed legislation, such as the Dignity Act of 2025, aims to create a more just system. By providing a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants who meet certain criteria, the act could align U.S. policy more closely with SDG 10 by reducing the inequality inherent in a large, undocumented workforce.

Challenges to Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)

The construction industry is the primary engine for building the infrastructure necessary for sustainable communities. Labor disruptions directly threaten progress toward SDG 11.

• Halted Infrastructure Projects: The raid on an Alabama elementary school construction site is a clear example of how enforcement actions can halt the development of essential community infrastructure.
• Long-Term Infrastructure Deficits: A sustained shortage of labor will make it more difficult and expensive to build and maintain housing, transportation, and public facilities, which are foundational elements of sustainable cities.
• Risk to Future Development: The uncertainty may lead to the cancellation of future projects, further slowing progress toward building resilient and sustainable communities for all.

Conclusion and Policy Outlook

The current U.S. immigration enforcement strategy presents a significant obstacle to achieving key Sustainable Development Goals. The policy’s impact on the construction labor force directly threatens economic growth (SDG 8), worsens social inequalities (SDG 10), and impedes the development of sustainable infrastructure (SDG 11). While industry stakeholders are advocating for policy changes and comprehensive immigration reform like the Dignity Act, the long-term damage from a persistent skilled worker shortage may already be underway. A pivot toward policies that support a stable, documented workforce is critical for aligning national objectives with global sustainable development commitments.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article extensively discusses the construction industry’s labor market, focusing on the shortage of skilled workers, the reliance on immigrant labor, and the economic consequences of immigration enforcement. It highlights how ICE raids and anti-immigration policies create fear, lead to worker absences, and threaten to halt projects, directly impacting economic productivity and the principle of decent work for all. The discussion around the “strengthening economy” versus the “skilled worker shortage” being “exacerbated” points directly to this goal.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The article’s core theme is the vulnerability of a specific population group: unauthorized immigrant workers. It describes their precarious legal status, the fear of deportation, and the “collateral damage” they face during raids. The proposal of “The Dignity Act of 2025,” which aims to provide a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants, is a direct attempt to address the inequalities they face and facilitate their orderly and safe migration and mobility.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The article touches upon the rule of law and the functioning of government institutions. It describes the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the legal requirements for raids (e.g., needing a warrant), and the legislative process with the introduction of “The Dignity Act.” The discussion about making E-Verify mandatory for all employers and creating a legal pathway to citizenship relates to building effective, accountable, and transparent institutions.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• The issues discussed directly impact the infrastructure sector. The article mentions an ICE raid on an “Alabama elementary school construction site” and warns that such crackdowns could “extend project timelines for contractors” or even lead to “construction projects getting halted because of lack of workers.” This shows a direct link between the labor issues and the ability to develop and maintain infrastructure.

Identified SDG Targets

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. The article highlights the opposite of this, with a massive labor shortage (“The total number of unfilled job openings rocketed from 7.2 million to 7.8 million”) and a workforce of “undocumented workers” who lack the protections of “decent work.”
• Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment. The article details an insecure working environment where workers fear raids, leading to “increased callouts or worker absences.” The push for legislation like the Dignity Act to “turn unauthorized workers into documented citizens” is an effort to move them from precarious employment to a protected status.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies. The article critiques the current “hardline anti-immigration policies” and discusses proposals like “The Dignity Act of 2025” as a “well-managed migration policy” that would “overhaul the asylum program” and allow immigrants to “earn legal status.”

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. The article mentions contractors hanging signs indicating that “ICE must have a warrant to visit,” which is a direct reference to the rule of law. The discussion of “collateral damage” where non-targeted workers are deported suggests a lack of equal access to justice.
• Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The article discusses the use of systems like “I-9 and E-Verify” and a proposal to make E-Verify mandatory as a way to create a more transparent and accountable employment system. The push for comprehensive immigration reform reflects a desire for more effective institutions to manage labor and migration.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all. The article demonstrates how labor instability directly threatens this target, stating that crackdowns “will probably lead to some construction projects getting halted because of lack of workers” and that it is “taking them longer to complete projects,” which impacts the reliability and development of infrastructure like the mentioned elementary school.

Implied Indicators for Measurement

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Quantitative Indicator: The number of unfilled job openings in the economy. The article explicitly states this number “rocketed from 7.2 million to 7.8 million in two months.”
• Qualitative Indicator: The rate of worker absences or “callouts” on construction sites, which the article mentions has increased due to fear of raids.
• Qualitative Indicator: The length of project completion times. The article notes that “it’s taking them longer to complete projects,” which serves as an indicator of reduced productivity.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Policy Indicator: The introduction and legislative progress of migration-related bills. The article specifically names “The Dignity Act of 2025” as a proposed bipartisan bill. Its status (e.g., “The bill has only just been introduced, with no votes held yet”) is a measurable indicator of progress toward well-managed migration policies.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Quantitative Indicator: The number of arrests and deportations resulting from workplace raids. The article gives a specific example: “the arrest of 11 people” at one site.
• Institutional Indicator: The rate of adoption of employment verification systems. The article discusses the use of “I-9 and E-Verify” and the proposal to make E-Verify mandatory for all employers.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• Project-based Indicator: The number of construction projects halted or delayed due to labor shortages. The article warns this is a likely outcome, stating projects could get “halted because of lack of workers.”
• Economic Indicator: Contractor backlog numbers. The article suggests that “recent strength and backlog” may not be a positive sign but an indicator that projects are taking longer to complete.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

SDGs	Targets	Indicators
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth	8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all. 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers.	Number of unfilled job openings (rose from 7.2M to 7.8M). Rate of worker absences (“increased callouts”). Length of project completion times (“taking them longer to complete projects”).
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.	Legislative progress of migration bills (e.g., “The Dignity Act of 2025”). Policies to provide legal status to unauthorized workers.
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.3: Promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice. 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions.	Number of arrests from workplace raids (“arrest of 11 people”). Adherence to legal requirements (e.g., “ICE must have a warrant”). Adoption rate of mandatory E-Verify systems.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure	9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure.	Number of construction projects halted or delayed. Contractor backlog data as an indicator of project delays.

Source: constructiondive.com