Immigration crackdown turns Triangle construction sites into ‘ghost towns’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- ICE enforcement triggers large-scale absenteeism at Triangle construction sites.
- Builders report project delays and halted concrete pours from missing crews.
- NAHB issues legal guidance while firms weigh compliance and operational risk.
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U.S. Border Patrol in the Triangle
The U.S. Border Patrol sent agents to Raleigh, Durham, Cary and other parts of the Triangle Nov. 18 and 19 after a surge of enforcement in Charlotte. Here’s ongoing reporting from The News & Observer.
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The South Creek construction site in southern Chapel Hill — usually buzzing with the din of heavy machinery — stood eerily quiet Wednesday morning.
The presence of U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Triangle this week has brought work to a screeching halt, said Travis Thompson, general manager for Beechwood Carolinas’ Chapel Hill division.
Out of 100 contractors working on the 815-home planned community, only 20 have reported for work since Monday.
“It’s like a ghost town right now,” Thompson said, standing on the sprawling 43-acre site at the southeastern corner of U.S. 15-501 and Market Street extension, directly across from the Southern Village community.
“Usually, you’d be hearing lifts moving around, and several trucks coming in and out. But we just don’t have that many guys on site,” he said. “People are just nervous in general, so they’re not showing up to work.”
He’s already facing delays, he said. He’d scheduled to pour a major concrete slab Wednesday, but it’s now pushed back.
“Every day is critical out here,” he added. “We need them back asap.”
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is having a ripple-effect across construction sites in the Triangle. In just a few days, it’s triggered a surge in sudden labor shortages, as unauthorized workers skip shifts or avoid job sites, largely out of fear.
Siembra NC reported at least a dozen people were detained Tuesday in the Triangle, according to a news release. It identified them as “landscape workers in Raleigh, construction workers at the Lightbridge Academy in Cary, people detained while walking on the sidewalk in front of the Morazan Restaurant in Raleigh, walking outside the Tree Top Apartments in Raleigh, and at several other apartment complexes.”
“It’s just a weary feeling. Even for people that have their paperwork like me,” said Juan Guerrero, 36, an operator with Garner-based Duke Lazzara Development.
He’s currently working on Jade Creek, a new 72‑home community being built at 8522 Old NC 86 in Carrboro.
On Wednesday, only 10% of the usual 90 workers showed up, Guerrero said. He was among the few. “I’m a permanent resident,” he said, “but I still feel like I got to watch my back.”
Many, including Jose Ibanex, 32, a foreman on the site, fear racial profiling and arbitrary detention.
“You hear that they’re actually taking us citizens, too. You don’t even know where they’re taking them.”
‘When ICE comes calling’
In fast-growing regions like the Triangle, many builders rely on immigrant labor to meet demand.
Roughly 25% of construction workers in North Carolina are foreign-born non-citizens, according to 2023 data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). That figure could be even higher in the Raleigh metro area, Axios estimates.
NAHB leaders, including CEO Jim Tobin, have acknowledged that immigration raids — like those recently reported in Los Angeles, Chicago and now in North Carolina — are putting homebuilders “in a holding pattern.”
NAHB does not take a public stance on immigration policy. But it’s monitoring enforcement trends and advising members on compliance and risk mitigation.
Most recently, it republished “When ICE Comes Calling,” an updated guide for business owners on best practices during Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. It’s also available in Spanish.
Among their tips: always ask to see a warrant, contact legal counsel immediately, and recognize the difference between agents from ICE and from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“There’s a difference,” NAHB said, and procedures differ.
In the Spotlight designates ongoing topics of high interest that are driven by The News & Observer’s focus on accountability reporting.
This story was originally published November 20, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
