Contractors have paused projects after workers expressed fear and concern for their families’ safety.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. โ Border Patrol activity in Charlotte is causing construction delays as some companies say workers are staying home, projects are stalling and economic costs are rising.
Local contractor Face Fakhry, the owner of F2 Construction, says the presence of federal immigration agents in Charlotte has created a climate of fear, even among workers who have legal documentation.
โMy entire operation is grounded,” Fakhry said. “Nobody is working.”
Construction has been booming across the Charlotte region, from high-rise apartment buildings to residential developments. Many of those projects rely on skilled labor, much of it from immigrant workers. But after reports and videos showing Border Patrol and ICE operations in the area, Fakhry says his crews became more hesitant to leave their homes.
โWhatโs really important and unfortunate is me receiving videos from my staff hiding behind their curtains and recording, you know, violent behavior from ICE right outside of their door,โ he said.
Fakhry emphasized that all of his employees have proper documentation. But he chose to temporarily stop all operations to protect his workers and allow them to feel safe.
โIn order to keep everybody safe, we just told everybody, โHey, stay home until you feel safe enough to get out,โโ he said. โIf it’s going to cost us business, if it’s going to cost us, you know, overhead or whatever, we will take care of it. That’s just the right thing to do.โ
Fakhry said projects wonโt likely resume until early next week.
โOur position right now is we do not anticipate getting back to full work until at least Monday or Tuesday of next week,โ he said.
North Carolinaโs construction industry contributes billions of dollars to the stateโs economy each year. Contractors warn that delays โ especially during peak building seasons โ could affect project timelines, costs and growth in one of the nationโs fastest-growing cities.
Contact Myles Harris at mharris5@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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