LOS ANGELES — During a week when firefighters were busy tackling blazes in the Los Angeles region, Alejandro, a 55-year-old laborer from Mexico, was among a group of day laborers engaged in clean-up efforts in the scorched areas of Pasadena and Altadena.
Wearing a yellow safety vest, mask, and glasses, Alejandro participated in clearing debris, picking up fallen branches and trees, and managing traffic as his peers worked diligently. “Without laborers like us, the country would be in crisis,” he expressed in Spanish, preferring to keep his last name private due to his undocumented status. “It wasn’t just one house,” Alejandro noted, stressing the scale of destruction. “There were thousands.”
With President-elect Donald Trump set to return to the White House soon, he has indicated intentions to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Advocacy groups caution that such actions could hamper America’s ability to swiftly recover from severe damages caused by natural disasters, including floods, hurricanes, and wildfires.
As the frequency of extreme weather events—intensified by climate change—grows, a considerable number of laborers, many lacking legal status, have emerged. Many of these workers travel across the nation to help rebuild communities devastated by disasters. A significant number possess specialized skills as electricians, plumbers, and masons, while others engage in physical labor such as clearing away debris and fallen foliage.
Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, highlighted the role of immigrant construction crews: “The individuals who are instrumental in rebuilding areas, from Palisades to Malibu to Altadena, are immigrants. They act as the second responders.”
In 2023, the United States faced 28 climate-related disasters, each incurring over $1 billion in damages—the highest number recorded, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While it’s premature to assess the full impact of the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, preliminary estimates from AccuWeather suggest potential damages and economic losses could reach between $250 billion and $275 billion.
Trump has previously dismissed climate change as a “hoax” and accused immigrants of taking jobs from Black and Hispanic citizens. However, data illustrate that immigrant labor positively contributes to economic growth and creates opportunities for American workers. Karoline Leavitt, a representative for Trump’s transition team, stated that Trump intends to utilize federal power and collaborate with state officials to deport “illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers,” while simultaneously reducing costs for families and bolstering the workforce.
The disaster restoration sector experienced a significant boom following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, transforming the Gulf Coast into one of the most extensive construction sites globally. Many small construction firms expanded and consolidated, with some eventually acquired by private equity firms capitalizing on a highly lucrative industry bolstered by insurance payouts and government aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Mario Mendoza, who has been involved in disaster restoration since Katrina, recalls the immediate aftermath of the storm when he was cleaning mud-covered homes and businesses. Hailing from Honduras and currently undocumented, Mendoza has vivid memories of the devastation, including witnessing deceased individuals in homes he was hired to clear. Since then, he has assisted various Louisiana communities in reconstructing after hurricanes and tornadoes.
“We have been a vital support for cities following disasters,” Mendoza stated in Spanish. Following calamities, workers such as him are typically commissioned by homeowners or contractors to demolish moldy walls from flooding, repair roofs, and remove debris and fallen trees from residential properties, streets, and access roads. Those without legal status face exploitation and wage theft, often sleeping in trucks or tents, and sometimes even on the very properties they are restoring. Their roles span from roofers and carpenters to tilers and various laborers.
Many day laborers engaged in clean-up efforts often lack proper protective gear or safety education, leaving them exposed to hazardous conditions, as pointed out by Jessica Martinez, who leads the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, a coalition training workers in post-disaster recovery situations. She noted that the administration’s anti-immigrant sentiment further discourages these workers from seeking essential resources due to fears of deportation.
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that approximately 10.8 million individuals were part of the construction workforce in 2020. The Center for American Progress estimates that nearly 1.6 million immigrants in 2021 were working in construction, a field where Latinos are significantly represented, with numbers particularly high in states like Texas and California.
In addition to the existing workforce, tens of thousands of individuals are granted H-2B visas annually, allowing them to temporarily work in the U.S. for non-agricultural roles. Construction is one industry notably reliant on these H-2B workers.
Stan Marek, the CEO of Marek Brothers Construction, expressed concerns that mass deportations would greatly complicate recovery efforts following disasters, making it harder for contractors to complete current and future projects. “If you don’t have workers available, you can’t carry on repairs,” Marek stated, also pointing to ongoing repairs from Hurricane Harvey which occurred years ago and have yet to be resolved for some property owners.
With the United States already facing a housing crisis, it raises questions about how the new administration plans to cope with a potential reduction in construction workers. Last year, Vice President-elect JD Vance suggested that laborers without legal status could be replaced by the millions of “prime age” individuals who have left the workforce and might be attracted back with higher wages.
The recent situation in Florida offers a glimpse into the effects of potential mass deportations. After Hurricane Idalia hit the Big Bend region in August 2023, many undocumented workers hesitated to finish recovery tasks due to a new immigration law put into effect in July, one of the most stringent in the country requiring large employers to verify their workers’ legal status.
“A lot of workers I know didn’t want to take the risk of staying,” explained Saket Soni, head of the nonprofit Resilience Force, which supports disaster recovery laborers. “They preferred to abandon the job than face deportation.”
Sergio Chávez, a sociology professor at Rice University currently researching the disaster recovery sector, sees a few options for addressing a possible labor shortage in construction: the Trump administration could either broaden the H-2B visa program or opt to recruit Americans who might return to the industry for better pay. Nevertheless, Marek remains doubtful about this prospect. “Everyone says to offer higher wages, but we’ve done that,” he argued. “Our starting salaries are already at an all-time high, and yet many prefer to work elsewhere.”
