In a recent statement, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. of the U.S. Virgin Islands clarified that the territory's recovery strategy following the devastating storms of 2017 does not depend on undocumented immigrants. Instead, he emphasized plans to recruit workers from the U.S. mainland, despite the challenges posed by rising labor costs [fe740286].
Bryan expressed skepticism regarding the feasibility of President Trump's immigration policies, particularly the idea of transporting undocumented immigrants back to their home countries. He pointed out that detention facilities in San Juan, Florida, and Texas are already at capacity, making such policies impractical [fe740286]. This situation raises concerns about the potential return to previous immigration enforcement methods due to these constraints [fe740286].
The Governor remains optimistic about the RebuildVI initiative, which aims to attract U.S. workers to the territory. However, he acknowledged that the tight labor market is affecting construction costs, presenting a significant challenge to the recovery efforts [fe740286]. As the U.S. Virgin Islands continues to navigate its post-storm recovery, the focus remains on sourcing labor from within the mainland U.S. rather than relying on undocumented workers [fe740286].