Local opinion: Arizona can’t build what it can’t staff

According to Associated Builders and Contractors, the construction industry will need about 350,000 new workers this year alone just to meet the demand for construction services, and that number is expected to grow in the years to come. For communities like Tucson, this workforce shortage is already a serious obstacle to building affordable housing and critical infrastructure.

We need a solution, which is why Congress should create a new, market-based worker visa system for construction with visas tied to documented demand rather than an arbitrary numerical cap.

When demand for construction labor rises, access to legal foreign workers would adjust accordingly. When demand slows, it would contract. This approach reflects economic reality and provides stability for workers, employers and communities.

ABC supports strong enforcement of immigration laws and the deportation of immigrants who commit crimes or pose a threat to public safety. There is no place in our country or on construction jobsites for violence, coercion or intimidation of any kind. Enforcing the law and meeting workforce needs are not mutually exclusive goals.

Today, border security has improved significantly, which is an important and welcome accomplishment. Congress now has an opportunity to focus on modernizing legal pathways that align with economic needs. Securing the border and creating a lawful, market-based construction visa program should go hand in hand reinforcing the rule of law while ensuring our economy has access to the supplemental workers required to build critical projects.

A visa specifically for construction that is employer-driven, security-focused and built with strong protections for U.S. workers could be a win for American workers, the construction industry and taxpayers. Employers would be required to recruit domestically, verify no qualified U.S. worker is available, pay market wages and participate in E-Verify. The program would include strict vetting, background checks, electronic monitoring and firm caps limiting participation to a percentage of documented workforce needs — ensuring accountability while aligning visa availability with real-time labor demand.

The construction industry is not standing still. Contractors across Arizona are investing heavily in workforce development, including paid apprenticeship programs that combine hands-on training, classroom instruction and industry-recognized credentials, particularly in high-demand trades like electrical work. These programs create real career pathways for American workers, but they cannot replace experienced workers fast enough to meet growing demand on their own.

Congress has a clear choice. It can continue to rely on outdated, broken immigration policies that ignore labor market realities, or it can enact a market-based construction worker visa program that supports American workers, strengthens national security and protections for taxpayers and helps communities like Tucson build what we need.

Arizona cannot build what it cannot staff. Congress should act now.