Day Laborer Gathering Spots Empty Out as Fear of Immigration Raids Grows Across the U.S.

• Day Laborers Avoid Immigration Arrests
• Raids Empty Traditional Hiring Spots
• Fear Stops Workers from Seeking Jobs

Street corners, bus stops, and parking lots where Latino day laborers have gathered for decades in the United States are now becoming deserted, EFE reports.

Fear of immigration raids and deportation has dramatically changed the daily routine for those who rely on offering their labor each day.

Many of these immigrant workers have long worked in fields like construction, landscaping, cleaning, or agriculture. They were once easy to spot, waiting for job offers in public spaces.

But now, with immigration patrols and enforcement agents becoming increasingly visible, workers are avoiding the places where they once waited for opportunities.

Trump-Era Immigration Policies and Rising Fear

The situation has worsened under directives from the White House, pushed by Stephen Miller, the architect of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, who imposed daily quotas for immigrant arrests.

Day laborers have become a specific target, particularly those who gather outside national chains like Home Depot and 7-Eleven.

This has created a climate of fear and anger among workers, who feel criminalized for the color of their skin or the language they speak.

Nadia Marín, from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), explained that the community is often forced to choose between paying rent, buying food, or risking arrest.

Day Laborers Seek Other Options

Despite the fear, many day laborers continue looking for work, relocating to less visible areas to avoid law enforcement.

Some workers even stay hidden at home for days after receiving alerts about immigration agents in the area.

Communities have built networks of solidarity, warning each other of raids or heightened patrols.

Fear has grown following images from cities like Los Angeles, where the government deployed the National Guard during protests, reinforcing a sense of hostility.

Protests Against Immigration Raids at Stores

The tense atmosphere has also fueled protests directly targeting businesses accused of cooperating with immigration authorities.

In East Windsor, New Jersey, a group of residents entered a Home Depot, unfurling banners that read “ICE out of Home Depot” and demanding the chain refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement.

Protesters argued that if the store could remove them for being on private property, it could also deny ICE entry.

But activists claim this has not been the response, asserting that many companies often cooperate with immigration authorities.

Laborers Describe Discrimination

For day laborers, parking lots were once essential gathering places to find work—but they’ve now become high-risk zones.

A Honduran day laborer, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared how police arrested him simply for entering a Home Depot restroom.

He recounted facing discrimination despite having committed no crime and paying taxes like any other worker.

He remembered that around 60 day laborers used to gather in that spot, but after warnings that immigration would be called, the numbers dwindled dramatically.

Economic Impact of Immigration Raids

He added that the threat became much more visible once Trump took office, as authorities felt more empowered.

Fear has not only emptied these hiring spots—it has also hurt workers’ ability to pay rent or support their families.

Many day laborers lack work permits and have opted to stay away, leaving only a small minority of those with legal documents still seeking jobs.

The impact extends beyond day laborers: industries like construction, landscaping, domestic cleaning, agriculture, and restaurants are also suffering from a shortage of workers.