ICE authorities did not make any arrests during their raid earlier this month on the construction site of a burnt property in Altadena. There was no sign of the individual they were pursuing. However, the workers were sufficiently alarmed by the prospect of their return to temporarily halt the project.
Half of the 12-man team remained at home the following day. By the end of the week, the crew was back to full size, but now they operate in terror, said Brock Harris, a real estate agent for the property’s developer. He claimed that it had a chilling effect. The laborers attempting to rebuild Los Angeles are being made to feel afraid.
In order to avoid drawing attention to his construction sites, Harris claimed that another developer in the neighborhood began camouflaging them by concealing Porta Potties, taking down construction gates, and having workers park far away and carpool to the site.
Los Angeles County’s chances of recovering from the two most devastating fires in its history are threatened by the possibility of extensive immigration raids at construction sites.
Roundups might hinder the massive effort to rebuild the 13,000 houses that were destroyed in Altadena and Pacific Palisades on January 7 and worsen the housing crisis by impeding new building throughout the state, according to a recent research by the UCLA Anderson Forecasts.
According to the report, deportations will reduce the number of workers in the construction industry. Production will be directly lowered if personnel who install roofing, flooring, drywall, and other similar tasks are lost.
According to the report, the effects will extend well beyond those who are deported. A large number of undocumented workers who are able to evade ICE will have to leave the workforce. Their areas of expertise are frequently essential to completing projects, which could negatively impact the success of the remaining employees who are unable to execute tasks without their assistance.
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California’s economy is predicted to be hit hard by President Trump’s trade war and recent immigration raids.
According to the survey, the creative endeavors of the undocumented and the rest of the workforce frequently complement one other. For instance, a decrease in some skills may cause home construction to be postponed, which would raise unemployment for the remaining workforce.
According to Jerry Nickelsburg, director of the Anderson Forecast and author of the quarterly California report published on Wednesday, California’s economy suffers from the ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding the implementation of both trade and immigration policies.
According to Brian Turmail, a spokesman for the trade association Associated General Contractors of America, employers are eager to hire Americans but are having difficulty locating enough of them with the necessary skills.
He stated, “The majority of them are sort of in the Lee Greenwood crowd,” alluding to a country music performer who is well-known for his patriotic songs. American young men and women are the ones they would prefer to hire. They simply aren’t present.
According to Turmail, construction companies don’t begin with the idea of using undocumented labor. First, they have a business plan that says, “Let’s find qualified people.” It is not surprising that there are undocumented workers in the construction industry, among other businesses, as it has been relatively easy for them to enter the country.
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Industries in California and Los Angeles that have grown more reliant on immigrants, whether they are in the country legally or not, may suffer as a result of the crackdown.
According to the contractors’ trade group, the labor scarcity is partially caused by government policy. Despite the fact that less than 40% of Americans finish college, almost 80% of federal money allocated to workforce development are used to encourage students to pursue four-year degrees, according to Turmail.
He claimed that there is a glaring lack of exposure to industries like construction and instruction on the necessary skills for future workers. To make matters worse, there aren’t many legal avenues for foreign-born individuals to enter the nation and work in the construction industry.
According to Harris, the Altadena project, which was just raided, had a lot of momentum prior to the raid. The developer, who asked to remain anonymous out of concern for ICE retaliation, bought the land with plans to reconstruct the exact house that was there after the old house burnt in the Eaton fire but the foundation survived.
The developer wanted to complete the house by December, and permits were obtained swiftly. However, that deadline may be in doubt as immigration raids continue throughout Los Angeles.
“I think it’s crazy that they’re choosing to cause chaos and anxiety for people rebuilding after a natural disaster,” Harris added. Development plans are being thrown off, and there is a severe housing shortage.
Clare De Briere, a real estate entrepreneur in Los Angeles, accused raids of inciting fear.
Even if you are completely legal, have all of your documents in order, and everything is in order, it’s the fear of being seized, she added. It’s the expectation that you will be harassed and taken because of your appearance, and that you will miss one day of work, or possibly more.
As displaced homeowners consider their options for returning to fire-affected communities, De Briere assisted in overseeing Project Recovery, a team of public and private real estate specialists who produced a study in March on how to expedite the Palisades and Altadena’s recovery.
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To speed up the rebuilding of areas in Los Angeles County that were damaged by the January wildfires, a leading team of academics and real estate industry professionals has developed a comprehensive strategy.
The cost of rebuilding homes and businesses has become more unpredictable due to the possibility of raids and higher tariffs, she said. Costs will rise in response to market fluctuations whenever there is uncertainty.
The labor shortage, which has become more acute in recent years as development has stalled owing to high loan rates and the rising cost of supplies that could become much more expensive due to new tariffs, is expected to worsen as undocumented workers vanish.
According to Devang Shah, a principal at Genesis Builders, a company that specializes in reconstructing homes in Altadena for those who were affected by the fire, expenses have generally increased over the past seven years for all types of construction, including homes and flats. There isn’t much construction going on right now.
According to Shah, the downturn has resulted in a labor scarcity as many contractors have merged or left the industry due to a lack of employment.
He claimed that having few subcontractors can cause problems when considering Altadena and the Palisades.
