Carlos wasn’t surprised when immigration agents cornered him at a Home Depot in Los Angeles last summer.
That’s how he thought his luck.
The 68-year-old, originally from Guatemala, had spent almost every morning for more than 30 years looking for work in Home Depot parking lots. He evaded immigration agents at least three times before he was arrested in late June.
“I knew that sooner or later it was going to happen to me,” said Carlos. “I was out seven days a week, I had to go out to look for a job.
He spent four and a half months in ICE custody before being released in November, with the help of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, which provided financial and legal support to his case.
Carlos joined about 80 other day laborers on Saturday at a meeting held by NDLON in Pasadena, the first time the community has come together in person since the attacks began last year.
A hands-on event of this scale was difficult to organize but is important for the promotion of NDLON, said Pablo Alvarado, the organization’s executive director.
“It’s powerful when people come together,” Alvarado said. “If workers feel alone, they don’t build a community. The first step in fighting against each other is to talk to each other.”
Similar regional meetings are being organized across the country, he said.
The impact of forced immigration varies among day laborers. Some were detained for months late last year. One man was released from the Adelanto ICE Processing Center a few days ago. But they all fear the same every day since the brutal immigration attacks hit Los Angeles and other cities across the country.
Day laborers and activists are coming from across California, including San Diego and the Antelope Valley, to discuss the effects of ICE raids on their lives. Volunteers who provide support and immediate response to staff before and after an alien attack were also present.
The main topic of discussion was the possible boycott of Home Depot, which activists say did not do enough to stop the raids.
Home Depot parking lots have been informal workplaces for decades of day laborers, many of whom are immigrants and show up every morning looking for work. These same lots have become important targets to get immigration legislation under the Trump administration.
The all-day meeting was more than a month in the making, and it was difficult to get day workers comfortable with meeting in person, Alvarado said.
“Giving up a day to talk is not easy for employees,” said Alvardo. “Obviously there is a fear of meeting from one place to another.”
The workers of the day were welcomed with music from Los Jornaleros del Norte, a six-person group made up of Alvarado and other NDLON organizers.
Lawyers gave free legal talks to immigrants throughout the conference and the organization served them food at the end of the event.
Day laborers crowded notebooks during the interviews, encouraged to talk openly about what they need to ensure their safety while looking for work. Others were silent at first and found it difficult to describe their experiences in words.
Eventually many took turns sharing what they had seen – friends and acquaintances arrested and agents from other countries filled the parking lots, sometimes dozens at a time. The past year has been a disaster, many agree.
Most of the day laborers refused to have their names published in The Times for fear of reprisals.
“People are talking about the future of day laborers, the future of immigrants, and immigrants are not in the conversation,” Alvarado said. “You have to ask the workers what they think, what they want, and I don’t think that has happened yet.”
Much time was spent discussing the possible Home Depot boycott. Chris Newman, NDLON’s legal director and general counsel, gave a presentation on what a Home Depot boycott could mean for workers.
The company has been silent about raids in car parks, and should do more to protect day workers, NDLON organizers say.
A spokesperson for Home Deport told The Times that the company does not communicate with ICE or the Border Patrol.
“We are not informed of what will happen legally to immigrants and we are not involved in this,” said the spokesperson. “We will not be able to legally interfere with organizations operating legally, including preventing them from entering our shops and car parks.”
NDLON remains neutral in boycotting the company and hopes that Saturday’s event will help shed light on the organization’s next steps, Alvarado said. A boycott could hurt day laborers who rely on clients to hire them for manual labor.
Day laborers were widely divided over a possible boycott. One question echoed in the crowd: “If no one will buy, how are we going to get work?”
“But if we do nothing, how will we sound?” one day worker asked during a group discussion.
Jesus, a native of Mexico who lives in Pasadena, has been heavily involved in NDLON activism since his release from ICE custody in January.
He was arrested while working at a car wash in August, and the rights movement was instrumental in securing his release. NDLON provided him with a lawyer and bailed him out, allowing him to return home to his four young children.
From that time, Jesus connected NDLON with other men who were imprisoned with him, some of whom have been released. He still talks regularly with a few friends who are still incarcerated.
“Even if we don’t know each other, you become a family,” said Jesus. “We are all comrades in this. I feel very happy to be here and help in any way I can. Most of us don’t have this luxury.”
