> Building and Healing Southwest Florida: The Positive Impact of Immigrant Workers
By Coursewell Editorial Staff, Naples, FL (March 9, 2025)
Southwest Florida’s booming construction sites and bustling medical facilities share a quiet truth: they are powered by immigrant labor. Immigrants form an indispensable backbone of the region's economy, from the workers rebuilding homes after devastating hurricanes to the nurses and aides caring for an aging population. More than a quarter of Florida’s workforce is foreign-born, and immigrants are overrepresented in key fields like construction and health services (usafacts.org).
Immigrant workers have stepped up to fill crucial roles as the state grows and faces labor shortages, particularly in Collier and Lee counties. But recent policy changes and a climate of uncertainty are threatening to drive away these workers, imperiling the industries—and communities—that depend on them.
Building the Region: Immigrants in Construction
Construction cranes dot the Southwest Florida skyline, a sign of post-hurricane rebuilding and a booming housing market. On the ground, a significant share of the hard hats are worn by immigrants. Florida’s construction industry leans heavily on foreign-born labor – immigrants are nearly twice as likely as native-born Floridians to work in construction (usafacts.org).
Many of these workers are the unsung heroes of disaster recovery. After the havoc of Hurricane Ian in 2022, for example, “the workers doing the hard labor [to rebuild] are largely undocumented migrants… They have names like Jael, Juan and Francisco Antonio, and they flooded into Florida from other Gulf Coast states, and even from Mexico, to take on work” (gettyimages.com).
These crews toiled under the Florida sun daily to put shattered communities back on their feet. Local contractors know how vital this workforce is; rebuilding would be painfully slow without them.
Yet, today, fear grips many of these workers. Changes in immigration law have sewn uncertainty on job sites across the region. Florida’s Senate Bill 1718, enacted in 2023, requires all private employers with 25 or more employees to use the federal E-Verify system to check employment eligibility (winknews.com).
The intent is to discourage hiring undocumented workers, but one consequence has been a worker exodus. “Some feel this will lead to a mass exodus of our migrant population, which in turn will lead to a shortage of workers,” a local news report noted as the law went into effect (winknews.com).
That prediction quickly became reality for some Naples-area construction businesses. “We had 45 workers. From 45, now we have 20,” said Irma Bautista, a Collier County construction company owner, describing the sudden departure of half her crew after the law passed (winknews.com).
Another tradesman, Marlon Miguel, reported losing 20 workers overnight, leaving many job sites unfinished and slowing down reconstruction projects (winknews.com).
These immigrant workers – some authorized, some not – have decided that it’s not worth the risk to stay in Florida under the new rules (winknews.com).
Even those who are legally permitted to work feel the chill. “Recent immigration changes have left employees on edge… The uncertainty creates a lot of fear, even for legally employed people,” explained Russell Budd, a long-time Naples builder who relies on a diverse, largely Hispanic workforce (fox4now.com).
Workers worry that routine traffic stops or job site inspections could upend their lives. The sight of usually crowded morning pickup spots standing empty – as was observed along Fort Myers’ Palm Beach Boulevard recently – underscores this climate of fear (winknews.com).
Construction labor shortages are already being felt, and contractors warn that if immigrant workers continue to flee, housing costs and project delays will mount (winknews.com).
Losing this skilled workforce would be devastating in a region still recovering from natural disasters and striving to build affordable housing.
Despite these challenges, immigrants’ contributions to construction remain undeniably positive. They bring specialized skills, a strong work ethic, and the willingness to take on complex, physically demanding jobs. Many, like a Fort Myers resident named Brandon Martinez, note that immigrant laborers are “just trying to make an honest living, trying to work, trying to feed their families” – the kind of effort that benefits the entire community (winknews.com).
Another local immigrant who has lived in the area for decades voiced frustration at the backlash: “I have been in this country for 24 years, and, sadly, they are trying to kick us out because I am not harming anyone. We are here to hustle and work hard… They think all of us migrants are criminals, and we are not. We’re here to help this country” (winknews.com).
This perspective is often lost in the political debate. In truth, immigrant builders have long been the hands that construct Southwest Florida’s future – pouring concrete, hanging drywall, and roofing homes that will shelter families for years to come.
Caring for the Community: Immigrants in Health Care
Immigrants are not only building Southwest Florida’s homes; they are also critical in caring for its people. As in much of Florida, the healthcare sector faces the pressure of surging demand and worker shortages. An aging population (including many retirees who flock to Naples and surrounding areas) has driven an 80% increase in demand for healthcare workers in Florida between 2017 and 2021 (health.wusf.usf.edu).
Hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities are scrambling to hire nurses, technicians, and support staff. Immigrants have emerged as a vital talent pool to fill the gaps in this crunch. They serve as doctors, nurses, home health aides, and medical technicians, often bringing multilingual skills that help bridge communication with diverse patients. Advocates note that foreign-trained medical professionals could significantly alleviate the staffing shortfall if given pathways to use their skills. Unfortunately, many highly educated immigrants end up underutilized; in 2021, nearly 40% of immigrants with professional or doctoral degrees in Florida were working in health jobs that did not require such credentials (often due to the difficulty of U.S. licensing) (health.wusf.usf.edu).
Even so, immigrants make up sizeable portions of the health care workforce. From 2015 to 2019, roughly 26% of Florida’s licensed practical and vocational nurses and 31% of dentists were foreign-born (americanimmigrationcouncil.org).
Florida also relies heavily on immigrants for home health care – in 2021, about 60% of home health aides statewide were immigrants, one of the highest rates in the nation. They are the people tending to our elderly in Naples’ assisted living facilities, taking blood pressure readings in clinic exam rooms, and staffing emergency departments at all hours.
As with construction, however, recent policies have cast a shadow over immigrants’ role in health care. A provision of SB 1718 now requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to ask patients about their immigration status during admission (harvardpublichealth.org).
State leaders said the goal was to quantify uncompensated care for undocumented patients, but the new requirement sent shockwaves through immigrant communities.
Though the law does not require patients to answer and explicitly says care cannot be denied for refusing (harvardpublichealth.org), many immigrants fear that a trip to the hospital could expose them or their loved ones to immigration scrutiny.
Misinformation spread quickly, and the effect was immediate in places like Immokalee – an agricultural town in Collier County with a significant immigrant population. Healthcare workers there reported that the day before the law took effect, the streets were eerily empty, as residents stayed home fearing immigration raids (harvardpublichealth.org). In the following weeks, local clinics saw a rise in “no-shows” for medical appointments (harvardpublichealth.org).
Prenatal care visits dropped as some expectant mothers decided to leave the state rather than risk going to Florida hospitals (harvardpublichealth.org). “The law has sowed new uncertainty around how to find work, housing, and medical care safely,” observed Jean Paul Roggiero of Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida, noting that even legal residents are afraid to seek services (harvardpublichealth.org). This climate of fear alarms public health experts, who warn that when immigrants delay care or avoid hospitals, preventable conditions worsen. Communicable diseases can spread unchecked in the broader community.
The irony is that the actual burden of undocumented immigrants on the health system is far smaller than public perception. Initial data collected after the hospital reporting rule took effect showed that undocumented immigrants accounted for less than 1% of hospital emergency visits and admissions statewide (kff.org).
In other words, out of every 100 patients in a Florida ER or hospital bed, fewer than one was undocumented. And those who do seek care are often paying through self-pay or emergency Medicaid programs; the state found no clear link between undocumented patients and hospitals’ uncompensated care losses (kff.org).
Research also consistently shows that immigrants (especially those without status) use less health care on average than U.S.-born individuals, in part because they tend to be younger and also because many avoid interacting with the system out of fear (kff.org).
Nonetheless, the new law's chilling effect is real. Florida clinics and hospitals have begun public awareness campaigns—like the “Decline to Answer” initiative—to reassure patients that they can refuse to disclose immigration status and still get treated safely (harvardpublichealth.org).
Medical staff are being educated about patients’ privacy rights to regain trust. But some damage is already done: if sick parents and children stay away from hospitals until it’s an absolute emergency, health outcomes will indeed worsen. For immigrants working in health care, the stress also mounts. Many worry about family members or themselves being targeted, leading to mental health strain and even decisions to leave Florida for a more welcoming environment (harvardpublichealth.org, kff.org).
An Uncertain Road Ahead
The experiences in construction and health care paint a larger picture of Southwest Florida at a crossroads. Immigrants have long been the engine driving growth and caring for the vulnerable in this region. They repair our roofs after storms and check our vitals in the hospital. They pay taxes, raise families, and contribute to the cultural fabric of communities from Naples to Immokalee. As of 2023, immigrants made up 27.7% of Florida’s workforce – a proportion higher than their share of the population (usafacts.org) – and their labor force participation rate exceeds that of U.S.-born Floridians.
These numbers reflect a simple reality: Florida needs these workers. Without them, critical industries would falter. If construction labor dries up, the cost of homes and repairs will climb for everyone (winknews.com).
If hospitals and clinics struggle to staff bilingual nurses or aides, patient care will suffer, especially for the elderly and disabled.
Yet, despite this reliance, state policies have swung toward a stricter stance on immigration, and a palpable fear has taken hold in immigrant communities. The results are already being felt on the ground. Contractors worry about projects being delayed due to a lack of crews. Health providers worry about patients vanishing from clinics. Service industries from agriculture to hospitality likewise voice concerns as workers and even long-time residents weigh leaving the state (winknews.com, kff.org).
Policymakers and the public should consider the unintended consequences: By creating a hostile climate for immigrants, Florida may be undermining its own economic and social well-being. Southwest Florida’s leaders, including business owners, medical professionals, and local officials, are beginning to speak out on this issue. They argue that a balanced approach is needed that upholds the law and recognizes the humanity and necessity of the immigrants among us.
Southwest Florida’s story has always been one of newcomers building a life and building a community.
The Neapolitan estates and the shiny new hospitals owe much to immigrant hands. Ensuring that those hands continue to have a place here is not just an immigrant issue; it’s a Southwest Florida issue.
The road ahead is uncertain, but the path to a thriving future runs alongside the immigrant workers and families who call this region home. Ultimately, the fortunes of Southwest Florida’s construction sites and healthcare halls are intertwined with the fate of its immigrants – and keeping that lifeline strong is in everyone’s interest.
References
Fox4 Now – Wegmann, A. (2025). 'The uncertainty creates fear': Tariff, immigration changes felt in SWFL. (Interview with Russell Budd on construction industry challenges).
WINK News – Davis, E. (2025). Increasing deportation raises concerns for migrant workers in SWFL. (Report on immigrant day laborers and fear in Fort Myers).
WINK News – Richardson, R. (2023). The effect of Florida’s new immigration law on construction and labor. (Coverage of SB 1718’s impact on construction workforce, including Bautista and Miguel testimonies).
AFP via Getty Images – Uzcategui, E.M. (2022). Photo description from Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian, highlighting undocumented migrant workers in reconstruction.
USAFacts (2025). What percent of jobs in Florida are held by immigrants? (Florida workforce data by industry).
WUSF News – Colombini, S. (2023). Advocates say immigrants could help Florida ease health care worker shortage. (Report citing American Immigration Council on health worker demand).
health.wusf.usf.eduAmerican Immigration Council (2023). The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers in Florida. (Statistic on underemployment of highly educated immigrants in health care).
americanimmigrationcouncil.org
American Immigration Council (2022). The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers in Florida. (Data on immigrant share of nurses and dentists in FL).
Harvard Public Health – Knoerr, J. (2023). Florida law sows misinformation among immigrants about health care access. (Overview of hospital immigration-status question and community fears).
Harvard Public Health – Knoerr, J. (2023). Ibid. (Immokalee clinic observations of patient fear and no-shows post-SB 1718).
Kaiser Family Foundation (2024). Potential Impacts of New Requirements in Florida for Hospitals to Request Patient Immigration Status. (Findings that <1% of hospital visits were undocumented patients, mid-2023 data).
Kaiser Family Foundation (2023). Health Coverage of Immigrants. (Research noting immigrants use less health care and have lower expenditures than U.S.-born individuals).