The American construction industry is on edge as President-elect Donald Trump's promise of mass deportations looms, potentially impacting building costs and labor availability.

Trump has pledged to execute the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, starting with criminals. "First of all, they're costing us a fortune, but we're starting with the criminals and we gotta do it and then we're starting with others and we're gonna see how it goes," Trump said.

Tom Homan, the incoming border czar and former ICE director, supports the plan. "I got a message as a guy who spent 34 years deporting illegal aliens. You better start packing now," Homan said.

The construction industry, heavily reliant on immigrant labor, is concerned about the potential workforce disruption. Patrick Murphy, a former U.S. Representative from Florida and now chief investment officer for a Miami-based construction company, warned, "There’s reports that there are millions of undocumented workers working in construction, if they are deported, with the threat of them being deported, prices will skyrocket in construction."

Surveys estimate that immigrants, with varying legal statuses, make up 20 to 30% of the construction workforce. Murphy emphasized the need for a comprehensive immigration plan that considers both businesses and consumers.

"Hopefully this is a strategic plan that will take years in the making to help have more manufacturing, have more domestic labor that is qualified to take these jobs, but flipping the light over the night will be very dangerous," he said.

Trump's proposal to use the U.S. military for deportations has faced criticism, even from within his party. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky expressed concerns, saying, "If they send Army into New York and you have 10,000 troops marching carrying semi-automatic weapons I think it's a terrible image and I will oppose that but it's not that I oppose removing people."

Adding to the industry's worries are proposed Trump tariffs on imported materials, which could further increase building costs alongside the potential labor shortage.

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