South Texas ICE Arrests Top 9,000, Squeezing Labor and Threatening GOP Midterm Gains
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 7
South Texas ICE Arrests Top 9,000, Squeezing Labor and Threatening GOP Midterm Gains
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 7
Summary
More than 9,000 at-large ICE arrests in South Texas in 2026, up from about 400 in 2024, have drained undocumented workers from construction, trucking and agriculture, stalling projects and cutting business for firms across the Rio Grande Valley.
Nearly 80% of those arrested by ICE’s Harlingen field office since Trump returned to office had no criminal records, and local employers say U.S. workers have not filled the gap despite the administration’s wage argument.
The economic hit is showing up in the data: Brownsville-Harlingen construction payrolls are down 5% from a year ago, Cameron County’s labor force has shrunk nearly 2%, and farm jobs in four counties fell 13% in the year to March.
That strain is feeding political backlash in three competitive House races and statewide contests, with more than one-fifth of Hispanic Trump voters in Texas saying they would not back a generic GOP House candidate.
Republican candidates are now floating guest-worker and Dreamer protections, while Democrat Henry Cuellar argues his Washington clout can temper enforcement in a region that helped Trump flip red in 2024.