“Many women who did housekeeping were taken there. And then they got there and realized they were actually at Ground Zero, which, by the way, sometimes they were not told that that’s where they were going,” she said. It isn’t clear just how many undocumented workers were involved in these efforts, but estimates are between 2,000 and 6,000 people.
Undocumented workers are entitled to workers’ compensation, and individuals have received around $80,000 each for their work on 9/11 cleanup crews in the past. But in light of the Trump administration’s sweeping crackdown on immigrants, Bramble Caballero said many are now too scared to apply. For others, the money only went so far. “Because they are undocumented and their health has been compromised, they really can no longer work. So although they may have received awards, those awards dry out,” she told NPR.
One support group member who spoke to NPR, Lucelly from Colombia, didn’t know where she was going when she got picked up off the street for a cleaning job on the morning of September 12. Lucelly approached Ground Zero armed only with a paper mask and rubber gloves. Years later, Lucelly was diagnosed with breast cancer and respiratory disease after coming into contact with toxic debris and air—although the city was well aware it was unsafe.