They cleaned up ground zero. Now many are hiding from ICE

Key Points:

• Thousands of immigrant workers, many undocumented, participated in the 9/11 Ground Zero cleanup, facing toxic exposure and psychological trauma, with limited protective gear and little warning about the dangers.
• Health issues among these workers are widespread, including cancers and respiratory diseases, yet many remain fearful of seeking compensation or medical help due to their immigration status and heightened enforcement under the Trump administration.
• Legislative efforts like the 9/11 Immigrant Worker Freedom Act, aimed at providing undocumented cleanup workers a path to citizenship, have repeatedly stalled in Congress, lacking bipartisan support despite advocacy from figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
• Psychological scars from the cleanup work run deep, with workers recounting traumatic experiences such as handling human remains and working under stressful, sometimes secretive conditions, contributing to ongoing mental health challenges.
• Many undocumented workers live in a state of limbo, unable to return to their home countries due to health care concerns and fearful of immigration raids in the U.S., compounding their physical and emotional suffering years after the attacks.