Published: October 27, 2025
Immigrants make up almost one in five people in Texas, and about one in four people in Houston. This is changing the state’s economy and bringing both chances and challenges as immigrants search for a “better life”.
According to the U.S. According to the Census Bureau, about 17.9% of Texas’s population, more than 5.4 million people, were foreign-born in 2023. In the Houston metro area, immigrants represent 24% of the total population and more than 30% of its workforce, making them essential in industries from construction to health care.
Immigrants hold 22.6% of all jobs in Texas and account for over 40% of the state’s construction workforce. In Houston alone, they fill 50% of construction jobs and more than 33% of STEM positions, according to city data.
José García, a tree service worker who moved to Houston from Mexico seven years ago, said the situation feels increasingly difficult.“Things are getting worse and worse by the second,” García told us while finishing a job in southwest Houston. “Work is still there, but everything is more expensive, and I’m starting to think I’d be better off going back to my country.”
His view reflects the anxiety some immigrants feel as housing costs rise and wages struggle to keep up with inflation.
Statewide surveys show 79% of Americans say immigration benefits the country overall, but concerns about illegal entry and the pace of change remain. In Texas, lawmakers have pushed for stricter border controls even as business leaders warn that limiting legal immigration could harm key industries.
Half of all immigrants in the United States live in just four states, California, Texas, Florida, and New York. Texas shows both sides of the story, immigrants help the economy grow but also make clear the need for more housing, education, and support. For workers like Jose García, the immigration debate is not just politics but something that affects their daily lives.