SAN ANTONIO – In Texas, more than 51 percent of workers building homes, businesses and infrastructure are immigrants, according to data from the Associated General Contractors of America.
Other states also heavily depend on immigrant labor in the construction sector. But concerns about immigration policies and deportations are affecting families within the industry.
Thomas Freund, owner of Comfort Air Engineering and Primo Plumbing in San Antonio, said labor shortages have plagued skilled trades for over 30 years.
Freund advocates for changes to federal laws to simplify the process for companies to hire unskilled workers via visa programs.
Under the EB-3 visa program, Freund can hire unskilled workers, but he notes the process involves significant red tape.
“There are limits on the number of workers a company can hire, strict criteria, and extensive paperwork,” he said.
Freund describes the current visa program as inefficient, costly and overly complicated for the construction industry.
As a member of the National Board of the American Subcontractors Association, Freund is pushing for federal reforms.
“It will be a long road. We need to remove emotion and optics from the discussion and focus on the work we need to accomplish,” Freund said.
During recent crises, such as the statewide freeze, Texas made exceptions for certain industries, but Freund stresses that substantial federal law changes are necessary to address ongoing labor challenges.
The National Board of the American Subcontractors Association represents roughly 300,000 members nationally and 250 members in the San Antonio area.
