INGRAM, TEXAS — The Ingram Police Department entered an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in November through the federal 287(g) program, and residents, contractors and volunteers in the Hill Country said the resulting increase in immigration enforcement has slowed flood recovery work following last year's deadly floods. People involved in recovery efforts said a crackdown on undocumented immigrants is affecting the construction workforce and delaying rebuilding timelines.

The 287(g) program trains local officers to enforce immigration laws and provides additional funds to participating agencies. More than 200 agencies in Texas have signed up for the program.

Community members said the increased enforcement was concentrated in and around Ingram, where more traffic stops were reported and immigrants were arrested during some of those stops. Construction work across the Ingram area slowed as word spread about the arrests, residents said. City of Ingram data showed 92 traffic stops recorded in November, 140 in February, 221 in March and 154 in April.

"Maybe six weeks ago would be my guess. They started picking people up." Ingram business owner Steve Edelstein said the pace of arrests had a direct effect on the local construction workforce.

"In the construction business, that is a very large portion. Our concrete guys, our painters, our framers. They are, a lot of them are illegals that have been here for years working, and a lot of them were picked up, and the ones that weren't picked up, the rest of them aren't coming to work because they're scared of being picked up." Edelstein also addressed the balance between enforcement and workforce needs: "I agree that we need to not let in criminals and terrorists, and we need to have a strong border enforcement. But there has to be a happy medium. There has to be a happy medium that protects the community, but that encourages productive people to be able to stay and work."

The Texas Department of Public Safety reported three calls to ICE involving troopers working in Kerr County over the past six months. Kerr County includes Ingram and the surrounding Hill Country area affected by the floods.