Construction leaders in South Texas say stepped-up Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests at job sites have disrupted the industry, slowed building activity, and raised concerns about rising housing costs across the Rio Grande Valley, The Texas Tribune reported on Wednesday.

Mario Guerrero, executive director of the South Texas Builders Association, said fear of ICE operations has driven many construction workers to stay home, leaving contractors short-handed and projects delayed.

ICE agents have arrested more than 9,100 people in South Texas since President Donald Trump took office, nearly one-fifth of all such arrests statewide, according to ICE data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by The Texas Tribune.

Without sufficient labor, construction activity has slowed, creating ripple effects across the regional economy. Economists warn the shortages could push housing prices higher, even as state leaders emphasize efforts to improve affordability.

Guerrero said he decided to speak publicly after seeing a video last month showing ICE agents detaining workers who were pouring concrete at a residential construction site in the Valley.

"It's what's happening across the Rio Grande Valley at construction sites," Guerrero said in a video posted on the association's Facebook page. While acknowledging that law enforcement has a job to do, he said he was troubled by workers with authorization being detained and by the broader impact on the industry.

Guerrero called on local officials and industry leaders to meet later that month to discuss the effects of the enforcement actions on the industry.

"There's no labor," he said. "Our people are hurting, our businesses are hurting."

The comments resonated across the region, industry leaders said. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas show construction employment in the Rio Grande Valley fell 5% in the third quarter, the largest job decline among sectors in the region.

More than 380 people attended the meeting last month at the Brookhaven Event Center in Pharr, including representatives from concrete, lumber, real estate and lending companies, as well as several elected officials.

During the meeting, business owners described declining sales, delayed projects and growing financial strain caused by labor shortages.

"Business is down significantly," said Ronnie Cavazos, board president of the South Texas Builders Association. "If we continue on this trajectory, we will see a lot of businesses fail."

Isaac Smith, co-owner of Matt's Building Materials, said ICE operations have contributed to double-digit declines in sales at his family's lumber stores.

"If job sites are getting raided, at any level, the construction can't continue," Smith said, adding that late payments from customers have also increased, affecting cash flow.