Fear of ICE hinders the rebuilding of California’s fire-ravaged zones

The sound of hammers, drills and Mexican music herald the rising from the ashes of Altadena. Just over a year ago, only the charred remains of homes blasted by the Eaton wildfires were in evidence. Now, the wooden skeletons of houses are multiplying and gradually recovering their shape. As one of the most devastating wildfires in California’s recent history, it claimed 19 lives, leveled thousands of homes and reduced an entire neighborhood to rubble. But on one construction site, manager Ian Hernández has a task that goes beyond supervising the workers. Before he arrives, he checks social media to make sure there are no Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the vicinity. That morning, he says, he checked that the coast was clear.

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