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Brazilians In Construction In The USA Adopt Strategies To Dodge ICE Raids And Protect Immigrant Workers In Massachusetts.
In Massachusetts, thousands of Brazilians working in construction live under constant fear of ICE raids (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement).
Many undocumented immigrants adopt strategies to avoid being identified, such as “looking less Latino” and changing how they commute to work.
Douglas Souza, a 37-year-old from Espírito Santo who has been installing floors for a year and a half in the USA, sums up the feeling of his community: “The worst decision of my life was to come here.”
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The fear is so great that he avoids leaving home without first checking news about ICE operations in WhatsApp groups and observing the street.
How Construction Became A Target In The State
Construction employs about 25.2% of Brazilians in Massachusetts, according to 2021 data from the American Community Survey (ACS).
This percentage is twice the national average, making Brazilian workers easy targets for immigration operations.
Douglas explains that they are easy to identify because they carry tools and use vans with company names.
In response, many business owners have altered stickers on the vans, removing Portuguese words or surnames that reveal their Latin origin.
Strategies Of Workers And Companies To Avoid Arrests
In addition to changing the visual identity of vehicles, some Brazilians have started to go to places with a lower concentration of the community, drive regular cars in the USA, and hire drivers with regular immigration status.
Fernando Santos, owner of a renovation company in Miami, states that this measure represents an extra cost but increases employee safety.
Tiago Machado, a construction inspector in Boston, highlights another effect: job offerings in construction have decreased due to insecurity. “People don’t want to build, to incur debts,” he explains, pointing out how tension affects both Americans and immigrants.
The Impact Of Deportations On The Brazilian Community
Since Donald Trump took office, the number of deportations has increased drastically.
In Massachusetts, in just May, nearly 1,500 immigrants were detained, half with no criminal records, in cities with a large Brazilian presence such as Milford and Worcester.
Álvaro Lima, director of the Instituto Diáspora Brasil, warns about the social impact: “Today, we are hunted like animals.”
The community’s contribution goes beyond the economy, helping to revitalize neighborhoods that were once abandoned, but the atmosphere of fear compromises daily activities and businesses.
Commerce And Services Affected By Fear
The fear of ICE operations has led to a decline in consumption at Brazilian stores and restaurants. Marcelo Gomez, an importer of Brazilian products, reports that his sales have dropped to just 15% of normal.
Gabriel, owner of a restaurant and stonework business in Norwood, states that traffic has decreased by 30% due to families’ fear of visiting Brazilian establishments.
Employees even adjust their schedules to avoid morning raids and carry documents that allow the legal guardianship of their children in case they are detained.
The Boston Consulate has already recorded a significant increase in the issuance of passports and birth certificates.
Brazilians Seek Stability And Hope For Safe Return
Douglas Souza, who entered the USA through the Mexico border, remains hopeful of regularizing his status.
“I made a big mistake coming here,” he says, as he still intends to pay off the debt of R$ 100,000 with the coyote and return to Brazil in 2026.
In the meantime, thousands of Brazilian workers in construction continue adjusting their routines and businesses to survive amid intensified ICE operations, balancing work, safety, and fear in a country that, for many, represents opportunities and risks in equal measure.
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