The Indicator from Planet Money How ICE crackdowns are affecting the workforce
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Jul 3, 2025 The podcast explores the significant impact of immigration crackdowns on the U.S. labor market. It highlights how fear of ICE raids is causing anxiety among immigrant workers in crucial industries like agriculture and construction. A firsthand account from a cherry picker reveals the troubling consequences of missed work and wasted produce. Additionally, the discussion delves into how these policies are worsening labor shortages, leaving essential sectors like long-term care struggling to maintain their workforce.
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Immigration Crackdowns Affect Agriculture
- Gloria, an unauthorized Mexican immigrant, works long hours in cherry picking but has recently skipped shifts due to ICE raids.
- Fear of immigration enforcement causes workers to avoid workplaces, leading to labor shortages and wasted fruit in agriculture.
Construction Workers Face Anxiety, Not Absences
- Construction workers largely continue showing up despite immigration enforcement, with only sporadic no-shows linked to ICE presence.
- Most ICE enforcement in construction targets day labor sites, not formal building projects.
Shrinking Immigrant Labor in Construction
- Construction industry struggles to find qualified workers as immigrant labor dwindles due to immigration restrictions.
- Wages aren't the only barrier; lack of awareness and stigma about construction careers limits workforce growth.