Immigration Raids Are Scaring Off Workers Rebuilding California After Its Deadly Wildfires: Report

As California works to recover from some of the most destructive wildfires in its history, a new report by The New York Times highlights how immigration enforcement operations are impeding cleanup and reconstruction efforts across the state.

In the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades Fires, which together destroyed over 16,000 structures and killed 30 people in January, immigrant laborers—many of them undocumented—have played a key role in clearing debris, decontaminating homes, and beginning repairs. But recent raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have left many workers too afraid to show up to job sites.

"They're living in fear," said Jose Madera, director of the Pasadena Community Job Center to The New York Times. "They don't know what can happen if they go to work—are they going to come back?" added Madera, whose organization trained 40 immigrant workers for fire cleanup.

The report mentions an episode in which federal agents questioned workers at a construction site in the Altadena fire-rebuilding zone last month. Brock Harris, a Los Angeles real estate agent who works with the developer involved in the project said that although no one was arrested, "the next day, half the workers didn't come to work."

Though Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin emphasized to The New York Times that ICE has "NOT targeted any construction sites in Altadena and the Palisades," fear persists. According to The Times, at least 11 people were detained in separate raids in Pasadena, adjacent to major fire recovery zones.

Even legal residents report staying home out of concern. Sergio, a DACA recipient working in Altadena, said the fear of profiling has disrupted his ability to work. "Anyone who looks like they're an immigrant laborer could be detained," he said.

The disruptions come amid a worsening wildfire season. As of July 7, California has seen nearly 4,000 fires burn over 182,000 acres, as NBC 4 points out. The Eaton and Palisades fires alone scorched over 57,000 acres and forced more than 200,000 evacuations.

Earlier this month, six California Republican lawmakers published a letter urging the Trump administration to shift focus away from broad worksite raids, citing labor shortages and growing fear among workers in key industries. They warned that such operations are worsening labor shortages in key industries.

"Recent ICE workplace raids on farms, construction sites, restaurants, and hotels have led to unintended consequences that are harming the communities we represent and the businesses that employ our constituents," the letter states. "Fear is driving vital workers out of critical industries, taking California's affordability crisis and making it even worse for our constituents."