Immigrant labor in the construction industry

Guerrero warned that the valley's construction economy would not survive another year under current conditions.

“I can guarantee you this. The Valley's construction economy will not last another year in this constituency”

The Daily: A Political Rebellion in the Rio Grande Valley (Nov 2, 2026) · Listen from 28:29

Guerrero contends that apprentice pay is more than double the state minimum wage, so the labor shortage stems from the difficulty of the work rather than low pay.

“That's more than double the state's minimum wage. So I think to myself, like, no, it's not that it's slave labor pay”

The Daily: A Political Rebellion in the Rio Grande Valley (Nov 2, 2026) · Listen from 26:09

Guerrero argues that U.S. citizens do not want to work in construction even when offered jobs on the spot.

“Dude, people are telling you that they'll hire you on the spot. The thing is, United States citizens don't want to work in construction”

The Daily: A Political Rebellion in the Rio Grande Valley (Nov 2, 2026) · Listen from 25:50

A says the labor shortage let him raise his framing price, telling a contractor it was what he voted for.

“I mean, that's what you voted for. And I didn't have any more framers. I'm one of the few framers that are left”

The Daily: A Political Rebellion in the Rio Grande Valley (Nov 2, 2026) · Listen from 1:04:05

A argues that valley contractors owe their wealth to immigrant labor and are advocating mainly out of concern for their profits.

“They're in that wealth they have because of the immigrants, because of people like us that frame their homes, that do the hard job with cheap labor”

The Daily: A Political Rebellion in the Rio Grande Valley (Nov 2, 2026) · Listen from 1:02:50