How Trump's immigration crackdown could slow flood-hit Houston's efforts to rebuild

Jay De Leon, of Houston, Texas speaks to a reporter on the varanda of his backyard in Houston, Texas, U.S., August 30, 2017. REUTERS/Mica Rosenberg

HOUSTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - In the coming weeks, as Houston turns its attention to rebuilding areas devastated by Tropical Storm Harvey, people like Jay De Leon are likely to play an outsized role – if they stay around.

De Leon, 47, owns a small construction business in Houston, and he and his 10 employees do exactly the kind of demolition and refurbishing the city will need.  But like a large number of construction workers in Texas, De Leon and most of his workers live in the United States illegally, and that could make things complicated.