Skip to main content
February 28, 2017 - 11:06am

Article written by John Schoen, CNBC, February 22, 2017

It remains to be seen just how far the Trump administration will go in deporting undocumented U.S. workers.

But some industries and employers will feel the impact much harder — and sooner — than others.

The administration released official guidelines Tuesday that make almost all undocumented immigrants subject to deportation. The new directives create an uncertain future for an estimated 11 million undocumented U.S. workers — and their people and companies that employ them.

The share of undocumented workers had already begun falling well before the Trump administration came into office. Thanks to a strong labor market in Mexico, more people have been moving from the U.S. to Mexico than from Mexico to the U.S. for years, despite Trump's insistence that immigrants are "flooding over the border" into the country.

Now, a crackdown on undocumented workers will accelerate that flow out of the United States, leaving some industries and employers scrambling to fill jobs in an already tight U.S. labor market.

While some undocumented workers have moved from blue-collar jobs to higher-paid white-collar positions, the majority are concentrated in low-skilled, low-wage employment, according to researchers at the Pew Research Center.

Those include jobs in the hospitality, manufacturing and construction industries, according to the Pew study.

That concentration of unauthorized workers in a relatively few industries and occupations means those employers will be hit hard by a rapid boost in deportations.

Among landscapers, private households, clothing makers and farmers, more than one in five workers is undocumented, the Pew researches estimated.

Opponents of allowing undocumented workers to remain the U.S. have argued that those workers are displacing U.S.-born job seekers.

While Trump has pledged to create more opportunities for those "forgotten" Americans, many of the jobs held by unauthorized workers are low-paid.

Among the most common are drywall installers, farm workers, roofers and housekeepers, according to the Pew study.

What Our Clients Say

"Beth is absolutely wonderful to work with! I appreciate her patience and professionalism. It’s a relief to know I can count on her to respond and be a life line for us as we continue to learn the system. She is truly top notch."

Eastbound Mechanical

"I wanted to let you know Dan did a great job. He has a vast amount of knowledge, and I feel very fortunate to be working with him."

H.F. (Mechanical Contractor)

"We appreciate Tim and all of his excellent support."

M.J. (Manufacturing Firm)

"Kristen is a very valuable resource for us!"

LCI-Lineberger Construction Inc.

"I want to let you know how grateful we are for Robert Pacheco’s assistance. He was able to meet with me and discuss the issue promptly and complete the fix within a short amount of time. He is surely an asset, and we are thankful to have such a great resource."

Marques General Engineering, Inc.

"Greg is terrific, and I’m so excited to have a better resource! I have him working on several projects now with many more to come."

Progressive Plumbing

"Michael and Matthew have exceeded my needs and expectations. I get help same day 95% of the time, which is very important in my business at times. They are professional and courteous 100% of the time. Zero complaints."

Mitchell Brothers

"It’s a pleasure working with Robert. He's very patient, knowledgeable and goes far beyond to help with any issues we have as a company or as an individual."

HL Contractors

"The level of service CDP provides is exceptional and always far exceeded my expectations. You can quote me on that!"

The Wesson Group LLC

"He did a great job online and an equally great job in person. We’re enjoying working with our new Spectrum Viewpoint accounting software."

Chambliss & Rabil Contractors, Inc.

"Thank you for your assistance/responsiveness to assist us in getting P6 back online so quickly today. We appreciate all the support you provide."

M.J. (Manufacturing Firm)