A widespread immigration operation across LA county, including Altadena, has halted building progress while communities continue to recover from the deadly Eaton fire.
Margot Stueber, a 68-year-old resident of Altadena, was the first to clean up the ashes and debris by the Army Corps of Engineers in April. She works with architect Trinidad Campbell. But six months after starting the project, it is in a state of stagnation with federal agents in the area.
“They say this country is built from a generation of immigrants who are helping to rebuild this community, as they do today,” said Stever, a longtime resident of San Gabriel Valley Town.
According to Campbell, construction workers at the site are constantly changing even after the immigration campaign.
“Ice has affected our work here and there. We need to be careful. We have fewer people,” Campbell said.
L.A. County Superintendent Katherine Berger said he was learning similar cases, adding that a recent statement from President Donald Trump has encouraged him to consider immigration in certain industries, such as hospitality and agriculture.
“So, Congress may need to start their work and sponsor laws that will actually justify them and allow people to work here and actually stimulate our economy,” Berger said. “Rebuilding here will be a financial plus for many people looking for a lot of jobs.”
Federal agents are involved in a similar incident near Altadena in the June attack on immigrants detaining six people. Residents alleged that these people had been arrested in Pasadena. Pasadena has influenced construction workers who are scared to help the nearby Altadena community.
Stueber lost his 100-year-old cottage at Eaton Fire, but many see her as a beacon of hope after he quickly begins to advance towards rebuilding his future home on Palm Street.
“I know this isn’t the end of the story. We’ll need energy to really rebuild this community,” Stueber says. “But this is the first important step for me to get home again.”
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