Recent immigration raids have significantly impacted day laborers in Los Angeles, with CARECEN reporting a "90% drop" in people seeking work at their Westlake Home Depot location since last Friday's ICE action. This information comes from Martin Pineda, a spokesperson for the immigrant rights group CARECEN, recorded in an LAist report.
The increase in ICE presence and the raid of the L.A. Home Depot has led day laborers to reconsider whether to risk appearing at their regular places of work. Anonymity has become a requisite for these workers, who now must weigh the necessity of income against the looming threat of detainment. "With the current situation happening, one does not feel very safe being at this place," one day laborer, seeking to remain anonymous for safety reasons, expressed concern in an interview obtained by ABC15. They continued, "When we leave the house, we are thinking that we no longer know if we are going to return. It feels stressful, it feels very bad."
Simultaneously to the experience in Los Angeles, community-related anxieties are surfacing in Phoenix. Salvador Reza, a community organizer with Barrio Defense Committees, argued that it was wrong to target these individuals. "Nobody wants to work in 115 degrees on the roof, in your yard. They are doing the work hardly anyone else wants to do," Reza told ABC15. Meanwhile, Thomas Homan, former Acting Director of ICE, has made clear the agency's intentions: "We will continue to prioritize public safety and national security threats but if you are in the country illegally you've got a problem," he announced this spring.
Despite the fear, day laborers remain committed to their livelihoods. In Pasadena, Juan Dominguez, working with the Pasadena Job Center, observed a drastic decline in worker turnout. According to an account provided by LAist, "We have like 10% of the people who usually sign in [looking for work]," Dominguez said. He openly questioned how long families can manage without their regular income streams as he rightfully pointed out, "They won't be able to pay the rent, they won't be able to pay their bills."
As the situation unfolds, both the workers and those supporting them are trying to adapt and provide aid where possible. The Pasadena Job Center, for example, has turned to its food pantry to offer some assistance to the affected workers and their families. Rosa, an undocumented worker who uses the center to find jobs, reluctantly returned to seek work after the Latino Labor Day raid, driven by necessity. "I didn't want to come on Saturday because I take the bus here," she said to LAist. "The fear of being detained made me sick to my stomach. But I return to the center on Tuesday because I have to pay bills and help my adult granddaughter with expenses."
