Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
Immigrants are the backbone of the American economy and are key to many sectors, including construction and other services relevant to the reconstruction after a disaster. Experts and advocates discussed on Jan 24 whether this effort will go anywhere and what steps are being taken to confront the issue and ensure workers’ rights.
In post-apocalyptic fires in LA, as has happened in every disaster in the United States, immigrants are already hard at work doing the cleanup as the area emerges from its worst disaster ever. Many of these workers are undocumented. An effective recovery will be key not just for the people who lost their homes but also for the insurance industry and the economy at large.
Pablo Alvarado, Co-Executive Director of NDLON, the National Day Laborers Organizing Network explained the contribution of immigrant gig workers in this wildfire. There is a community work center in Pasadena near the wildfire. There are many immigrant workers here to help clean up debris. The working environment of these odd jobs is harsh and they lack effective protective tools. Pablo Alvarado said, “Los Angeles cannot be rebuilt without these immigrant workers.” Now that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is arresting undocumented immigrants in large numbers, many parents in Southern California are afraid to send their children to school.
Nik Theodore, Distinguished Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Policy University of Illinois Chicago said reconstruction requires a lot of manpower and often has to hire third-party contractors. These workers generally face a harsh situation of low wages and insufficient protective tools. The government’s deportation order for undocumented tourists will make the manpower shortage even more severe.
Jennie Murray, President and Chief Executive Officer at National Immigration introduced a poll of Democrats and Republicans conducted in December last year. The results showed that 76% supported deportation of criminals rather than immigrant labor. Jennie Murray said that even among Republicans, many people support that it should be criminals who are deported.
ALso Read: Large wildfire in California prompts evacuations
Thank You For Your Vote!
Sorry You have Already Voted!
