The New York Times reported on the 12th that since the California wildfires raged in January, migrant workers have been the top priority for the recovery of the affected communities. They braved the toxic ash and gas to save the victims’ property and deal with the burned waste. However, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s law enforcement action in June arrested many people, so migrant workers would rather stay at home for safety. Residents are worried that the official crackdown on migrants will only undermine the reconstruction efforts of the community after the disaster.
For several months, migrant workers working during the day have been crucial to dusting and disinfecting the homes that survived the Los Angeles wildfires; they wear masks and protective clothing and sweat while working, vacuuming away toxic ashes, cleaning books and framed photos, and dealing with clothes and furniture that cannot be saved.
One morning in June, migrant workers arrived at a small workstation in Pasadena to prepare for work, but that day, the situation made them feel too dangerous. It was not because of pollution or toxic smoke, but because federal immigration agents arrested six people a few blocks away from the building.
These daytime temporary workers can only go home and dare not go to the construction site. Jose Madera, director of the Pasadena Community Job Center, said migrant workers live in fear, not knowing what will happen when they go to the union and whether they can return.
Several raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have caused panic among migrant workers who are engaged in disinfecting houses, cleaning up fire debris, and rebuilding houses damaged by the Los Angeles wildfire. Regardless of their immigration status, they choose to stay at home.
California residents, officials and real estate agents, contractors, community organizers and workers can all tell how the Trump administration has affected the reconstruction process in southern California. Many people asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation from the federal government.
Lindsey Horvath, an employee of the Los Angeles County Board of County Commissioners, said that after the natural disaster, the community needs help to heal the pain, but the Trump administration has come to hurt again.
Undocumented immigrants make up a large proportion of California’s construction workforce, and they are most worried about possible official raids; but Latinos who have lived here for generations and have U.S. citizenship are also worried about facing interrogations by federal agents.
Trump said that rebuilding communities after the fire is a policy priority; now the progress may be slowed, which may cause a gap in his policy of cracking down on immigrants; a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said that federal agents have never targeted construction sites in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. It’s just that Californians are increasingly frustrated by the chilling effect of the raids and arrests in the southern part of the state.
