The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals condemned the recent ICE raids of schools, restaurants and other parts of every day life as “upsetting,” adding that the “aggressive deportation efforts” are rounding up law-abiding immigrants as well as the undocumented.

In an official statement, NAHREP urged protestors to remain peaceful and noted the significant role Latinos play in the U.S. economy, particularly the homebuilding sector, which is already facing significant labor shortfalls:

“NAHREP supports the human rights of all people living in the United States. These rights are preserved by the U.S. Constitution and include the right to due process.

While nobody objects to the deportation of dangerous criminals, the images of ICE raids in schools, restaurants, construction sites and peaceful neighborhoods are upsetting to many of us. Even more disconcerting is that ICE has not limited its aggressive deportation efforts to undocumented individuals. Immigrants who are ‘doing it the right way’ have been apprehended outside courtrooms and during routine immigration check-ins in multiple states. However, regardless of how these images may affect us, NAHREP strongly urges any expression of protest to be done exclusively in a peaceful manner.

Latinos are among the hardest-working, law-abiding, and patriotic people in the nation. Twenty percent of American casualties in the Vietnam War were Latino, during a period when Latinos were only 5% of the U.S. population. Latinos have the highest workforce participation rate in the nation, and despite what sometimes is inferred, Latino immigrants, including those who are undocumented, commit crimes at a lower rate than U.S.-born citizens.

In terms of our economy, NAHREP believes that deporting workers who are gainfully employed and paying taxes in the U.S. without a plan to replace those workers will harm our economy. The construction industry, for example, is already suffering significant labor shortages. With affordable housing at crisis levels, the deportation of legal and undocumented construction workers will only exacerbate this predicament. NAHREP will continue to communicate with the administration and policymakers, sharing our perspective on the impact of widespread deportations on the housing industry and the U.S. economy.

The ACLU, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and the National Immigration Law Center offer comprehensive information about the legal rights of immigrants.”