Trump Voter Who Expected ICE to Target Criminals Now Regrets His Choice: 'Our Workers Are Not the Criminals'

Donald Trump's immigration crackdown is creating an unexpected political problem: some of the voters who helped return him to the White House are now questioning their decision. In McAllen, Texas, construction business owner Benny Melendez says fears surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations are making it increasingly difficult to retain workers and complete projects.

Melendez, who voted for Trump in 2024 after supporting Joe Biden in 2020, told CBS News that labour shortages have significantly slowed his business. He has installed fencing at several construction sites in an effort to protect his immigrant workers from potential ICE arrests, as concerns about immigration enforcement disrupt construction work across South Texas.

Benny Melendez Says ICE Crackdown Has Disrupted Construction Work

Melendez said he had installed fences at several construction sites to discourage immigration agents from entering his properties and detaining his workers.

'If I don't install fences, ICE is going to come into my property and take my workers away,' he told CBS News, explaining that the barriers were intended to require agents to obtain judicial warrants before entering his sites. This reflects Melendez's understanding of the legal protections the fencing might provide. However, the barriers do not, by themselves, establish that agents must obtain judicial warrants in every circumstance.

The business owner also described the growing difficulty of finding enough people to keep construction projects moving. He said his team was fortunate to have two workers available on the day of the interview, reflecting the uncertainty facing employers whose staff fear being detained while at work.

The disruption has affected construction timelines. According to Melendez, completing a home now takes his team approximately a year, compared with an average of four months before the Trump administration's immigration crackdown began.

He also called out Trump for being a 'liar' after the president said he would go after all criminals. 'Our workers are not the criminals. Come on,' he said.

Why Melendez Regrets Voting for Trump

Melendez's experience has prompted him to reconsider his political support. Although he backed Trump in the 2024 presidential election, he has become increasingly dissatisfied with the administration's immigration enforcement policies.

'I regret my vote for Biden. Now I regret my vote for Trump,' Melendez told CBS News. 'What other options do we got? They're not working for us, neither party.'

Melendez has explained that his decision to vote for Trump was rooted in his longstanding support for immigration reform. He argued that securing the US-Mexico border was a necessary first step towards meaningful reform and criticised Biden's approach to border enforcement. His views illustrate the tension between supporting stricter border controls and opposing the effects of an expansive deportation campaign on immigrant workers and local businesses.

His frustration reflects wider concerns among some Latino voters in South Texas. A CBS News poll reported that nearly 60% of Latino voters believed the Trump administration was deporting more people than they had expected during the 2024 campaign. However, the findings do not mean that all those voters have withdrawn their support for the president.

Other ICE Cases Draw Attention to Enforcement Practices

Melendez's concerns come amid other cases involving ICE operations and disputes over immigration status.

In Austin, Texas, Venezuelan national Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28, was shot by an ICE officer on 20 September 2026 while making a DoorDash delivery, according to his attorney. His attorney said he had entered the US legally through the CBP One process, but the Department of Homeland Security disputed this, saying he had entered illegally and was subject to a final removal order.

Federal prosecutors later charged Garcés Pérez with assaulting and resisting a federal officer. The charges should not be treated as proof of guilt.

In another case, Minerva Terrones Dominguez was detained by ICE in June, while her 21-year-old US-citizen son, Samuel Gonzalez Terrones, died by suicide while she remained in custody. Her family said his mental health deteriorated during her detention.

On 31 August, a federal judge ordered Terrones Dominguez's release after finding that her detention had been unlawful. Her immigration proceedings continued after her release. The family's account of her son's deteriorating mental health should not be interpreted as an independently established finding that her detention caused his death.

For Melendez, the consequences of the crackdown are economic as well as political. With construction timelines lengthening and workers increasingly reluctant to report to job sites, the Texas business owner has become one of the voters questioning whether Trump's immigration policies have delivered the outcome they expected.