Immigrants play an important role in the central Ohio economy, but increased immigration enforcement by the Trump administration is creating uncertainties, not only for employers but also for workers and their families.
One of the many industries that relies heavily on immigrant labor to help fill roles is construction. As central Ohio's population balloons and local officials scramble to build more housing, experts point to the labor many immigrants provide as vital.
Construction contractors report negative impacts from ICE enforcement
Ken Simonson, with the Associated General Contractors of America, shared data with WOSU showing a nationwide survey conducted last year of construction employers around the country about the impact of President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
Data from the contractor’s association survey shows Ohio relies less on foreign-born construction workers, but areas like the growing Columbus metro buck the statewide trend.
But Simonson said detained and deported workers or even just the rumor that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid will happen takes a toll. A third of firms the contractor’s association surveyed in mid-2025 found they had been affected either directly or indirectly by immigration enforcement actions.
“That can hold up construction projects, make it much more expensive, and take longer to finish them," Simonson said.
Simonson said you often see immigrants install flooring, carpeting, drywall, insulation and roofs, while others do more technical jobs like equipment operation and electrical work that require training and certification.
“You may be able to get the foundation and the framing done, but if you can't put a roof on, you're not going to finish the building," Simonson said.
Columbus Chamber of Commerce points to other industries reliant on immigrant labor
Andy Hardy, with the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, told WOSU legal and undocumented immigrants are how the central Ohio economy sustains its workforce, across several industries besides just construction.
“The people that flip over rooms, clean the hospital, work in food service, construction and skilled trades are another one, logistics, warehousing, transportation, and then, of course, what we see is hospitality and service," Hardy said. "In a lot of ways, that's the backbone."
In other parts of the country, industries like agriculture and meat-packing are even more reliant on immigrants.
Hardy points out many documented immigrants also come to Columbus on work visas for highly-skilled roles, especially in healthcare and research.
He said it's important to recognize immigrants aren’t taking jobs from Americans, but instead they take hard-to-fill jobs, and in some cases ones that Americans are not willing to work.
Hardy said immigrants drive the population growth central Ohio is seeing. Census estimates show that from 2020 to 2025, the Columbus area added close to 70,000 new residents from international migration, accounting for two-thirds of the region’s population growth.
Hardy expects to see more of that in the future, but says immigration enforcement puts that expectation at risk.
“You can do the math. We would retract, essentially, as an economy, as opposed to grow and thrive and prosper, as we've been doing recently," Hardy said.
Central Ohio worker detained by ICE highlights wider trend in Trump's deportation push
Luis is a Mexican immigrant who worked at his brother's flooring and construction business. He's been in the United States for 20 years, has a daughter who is a U.S. citizen and spent the entire time participating in the economy.
But Luis is undocumented. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stopped him and a co-worker on a snowy day in January while they were heading to a job site.
“We had to cooperate, because there was a lot of snow and I couldn't run, because it was snowing too. And to make things less complicated, I told my partner that we should stop fighting it," Luis said.
Now he’s being held in the Butler County Jail.
Luis doesn’t have a prior criminal record or citations other than running a stop sign more than a decade ago.
WOSU is not using Luis’ full name, but only his middle name, because he fears retaliation. The Butler County Jail is known to feed detainees in solitary detention a dish known as the Warden Burger.
Luis has been in limbo at the jail for months without any court date, while he says other immigrants there have been entering and leaving the jail like a "revolving door." He's to the point where he's asked to voluntarily deport himself to Mexico, which he said jail officials have repeatedly denied.
His lawyers filed a habeas corpus charge in immigration court, and told WOSU they are finalizing an agreement for Luis to be sent back to Mexico voluntarily, but the Central American country needs to agree to receive him.
A spokesperson for DHS criticized WOSU for granting Luis anonymity, but said all immigrants get due process and that despite a historic number of injunctions, DHS is working rapidly and overtime to remove these immigrants from detentions centers to their home.
Reporting from NPR since Trump took office has shown this not to be the case. Immigrants are often sent to detention centers in countries where they’re not from.
After his arrest, Luis questions whether people like him are welcome in the U.S. anymore. He said he used to consider the U.S. his home.
“Before yes, but I am disappointed, because I feel like I am a good person. I think it's not fair for me to be (in jail)," Luis said.
Simonson said if this attitude spreads, it puts industries reliant on immigrant labor, like construction, at risk.
“That attitude compounds the risk that construction will not have the chance to hire qualified workers, whether it's because the border is shut to them, or people here are being detained or deported, or people decide...this is not a welcoming country," Simonson said.
