Home Depot boycott impact intersects with a stalled housing market, raising economic concerns for Latino construction workers, homeowners, and small contractors nationwide.
As housing activity slows and consumer spending tightens, Home Depot is confronting pressure from two directions: a cooling renovation market and community-led boycott calls tied to immigration enforcement concerns.
For Latino communities — many of whom work in construction, home improvement, and day labor — the moment carries economic and emotional weight.
Activists in Southern California and other regions have accused some Home Depot locations of allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to conduct enforcement actions in store parking lots where day laborers often gather. The company has publicly denied coordinating with federal authorities, stating it cannot legally block law enforcement from entering its properties.
Boycott campaigns, including the “We Ain’t Buying It” effort during the 2025 holiday season, also criticized major retailers — including Home Depot — for scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives following federal policy shifts.
Parriva could not independently quantify the financial impact of these boycott efforts. However, they come at a moment when the company is already navigating broader economic strain.
CEO Points to Housing Market Freeze
During the company’s February 2026 earnings call, CEO Ted Decker described the U.S. housing market as “stalled,” citing turnover at a 40-year low. According to reporting by The New York Times and The Street, Decker warned that customers are postponing large renovation projects due to high interest rates, inflation, and job market uncertainty.
Fourth-quarter data reflects that caution:
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Net income fell roughly 13% to $2.6 billion year over year.
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Comparable U.S. sales rose just 0.3%.
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Operating margin declined from 11.3% to 10.1%.
The company forecasts flat to 2% comparable sales growth in 2026 — signaling continued headwinds.
Latino Economic Stakes
Latinos represent nearly 30% of construction workers nationwide, according to U.S. labor data. Home Depot stores are not just retail spaces; they function as informal hiring hubs in many cities. That reality makes immigration enforcement visibility especially sensitive.
At the same time, Latino homeowners and small contractors are also affected by rising mortgage rates and higher material costs. A slowdown in remodeling means fewer jobs and slimmer margins for small subcontractors.
While boycott organizers frame their efforts as accountability campaigns, Home Depot’s leadership has largely attributed its financial challenges to macroeconomic forces rather than protest activity.
Still, the intersection of immigration enforcement, corporate policy, and a fragile housing market highlights a deeper tension: how national politics and economic cycles ripple through local communities.
For Latino workers and entrepreneurs tied to housing and construction, the question isn’t just whether sales dip — it’s whether opportunity does too.
We Asked ChatGPT What Would Happen If Latino Shoppers Walked Away From Home Depot
