Write a new simple attractive title based on the title from I’m a Hispanic business owner who helped Trump win. He’s gone too far. and dont use quote marks

Last summer, I received an alarming call. A friend and fellow construction-business owner said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement came to one of his job sites without a warrant and detained every brown person there, even those with work permits. Over the last 10 months, I’ve watched ICE raids cripple construction companies across South Texas. Workers have stopped showing up out of fear, and once bustling job sites sit empty.

The economic impact of all this has been severe. In 2025, 92% of construction firms across the nation reported struggling to fill open positions, with nearly one third saying they’ve been affected by recent immigration enforcement. The owner of one concrete company said the ICE raids led to a 70% reduction in business, forcing him to file for bankruptcy.

Texas has long relied on foreign-born workers to build housing for our state. With rapid population growth over the last few years, housing costs have soared, and we’re facing a growing shortage of affordable housing; it’s estimated that the industry must attract 349,000 net new workers in 2026 just to meet demand. 

Before the deportation push, immigrants made up 40% of Texas construction industry employees — more than a half a million workers in total, according to the American Immigration Council. Many are people who have grown up in Texas and have cultivated deep roots in our communities. Others live in Mexico and cross over daily to work — something common in the Rio Grande Valley. It’s shocking to me that anyone would want to take these hardworking individuals away from their families, communities and jobs.

I’ve worked in the construction industry in the Rio Grande Valley for as long as I can remember. My father was a developer, and as a child, I’d tag along with him to construction sites. My first teenage jobs were cleaning construction sites and showing model homes to potential buyers. I’m now the owner of Rich Heritage Construction, Inc. We build more than 100 homes and apartments annually and employ about 200 people. I’m also executive director of the South Texas Builders Alliance, an association with more than 160 members in the region. I know this business. And I certainly know how dedicated our immigrant workers are. Most of them regularly show up at dawn to work long hours in the Texas heat.

Yet these are the people I’ve seen ICE detain: workers who are simply trying to do their jobs. Last November, ICE detained a crew of concrete workers in the middle of pouring a foundation for a house in the Rio Grande Valley, causing thousands of dollars in lost profits for the construction company. A custom wood cabinet maker has been in ICE custody for months. This is a father of two sons who currently serve in the U.S. military. It’s nonsensical.

I’m a third-generation Mexican-American, and my family and I are proud of what we’ve built in this country. My grandparents came to the U.S. in the 1920s and fought with U.S. troops in both World War I and World War II. 

But today Hispanic families like mine feel betrayed. We’re tired of seeing our friends and neighbors be terrorized by government-funded thugs. We shouldn’t have to live in constant fear because of the color of our skin. Hispanic voters are key to winning elections, and Republicans are losing ground. A surge of Hispanic voters turned out for Democrats in the primaries this spring. If ICE’s cruelty continues, Republicans could do lasting damage to their reputation.

I’m not against all immigration enforcement — I simply want it done the right way, with a focus on securing the border, arresting criminals and growing the economy. I voted for President Trump in all three elections, believing him when he said he would deport the “worst of the worst.” 

I did not vote for him to detain long-time workers with no criminal records. Trump says he cares for business owners like me, but it’s clearly not true.

This spring, I’m investing in fewer developments due to labor shortages, rising costs and uncertainty about the economy. And even so, I still need my existing employees to show up to work.

Mario Guerrero is the owner of Rich Heritage Construction, Inc. and the executive director of the South Texas Builders Alliance.