Trump's immigration policy threatens California's recovery efforts

The Palisades and Eaton Fires, which devastated thousands of homes, are now fully under control.

However, as residents begin the rebuilding process, they may encounter a challenge — President Trump's immigration policies could lead to a shortage of construction workers, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"People like to work. They want to work. They want better lives as well," said Bernardo Osario, a crew boss for about a dozen workers who volunteered to clear debris in Pasadena.

Osario, who emigrated from Mexico 36 years ago and became a US citizen in 2021, believes that rebuilding will be impossible without immigrants. In California, immigrants make up 41 per cent of the construction workforce, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Many of these workers are undocumented. Construction, alongside agriculture and food service, is one of the top industries dependent on immigrant labour, according to the nonpartisan Center for Migration Studies of New York. Under the Trump administration’s stringent immigration policies, deportation officers are empowered to remove most immigration violators, including those contributing essential labour. 

Dan Gatsby, the founder of the Los Angeles Builders Association, a trade organization for the local construction sector, asserts that it would take years to train new workers and replace the immigrant workforce. When asked if it's realistic for the city to rebuild what has been lost in the fires without immigrant labour, Gatsby said, "It's going to be very difficult. We already have a big shortage of homes in Los Angeles — huge. I mean with this on top of it, good luck." Gatsby estimated that it could take 20 years to rebuild Los Angeles, and potentially twice as long without the support of immigrant construction workers.

"We are essential workers, essential people, for the community," Osario said. Rebuilding Los Angeles, much like saving it from the fires, will require the efforts of everyone who can lend a hand.

Since assuming office on January 20, President Donald Trump has introduced a series of executive orders focused on immigration, initiating a broad crackdown on undocumented migrants in the US.

In over 21 different actions, Trump has begun to revamp various aspects of the US immigration system, including the procedures for processing and deporting migrants.

A key aspect of Trump's immigration policy is the removal of undocumented migrants from the US, with a promise of "mass deportations."

To support this initiative, the Department of Defense has stated that military aircraft will be used to deport over 5,000 individuals detained by Border Patrol in San Diego and El Paso, Texas.

More than 1,000 people were removed or repatriated on the fourth day of the Trump administration.

Border enforcement chief Tom Homan has pledged that deportations will steadily increase moving forward.

Over the weekend, Trump’s deportation flights led to a diplomatic conflict when Colombia's government prohibited two military planes carrying deported Colombians from landing.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized the US, stating that "the US can't treat Colombian migrants like criminals" and emphasized the need for migrants to be "treated with dignity."

By Naila Huseynova