The collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans earlier this year has shed light on the plight of undocumented construction workers.
Three workers were killed after the structural failure. One survivor, an undocumented worker who had tried to warn supervisors about safety concerns, was subsequently deported to Honduras.
A 2006 academic study found about half of the New Orleans reconstruction workforce was Latino, with about half of that group being undocumented. To speed up construction after the storm, the federal government suspended enforcement of employee eligibility checks by employers and some workplace protection measures.
This resulted in widespread worker exploitation including wage theft, underpayment of wages, and abuse of employees, according to a report in The Guardian. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency had a steady rate of deportations under President Obama, but the current administration’s aggressive crackdown on immigration and asylum seekers has raised the level of fear among the Latino population in New Orleans.
Related Stories
AEC Tech | Feb 20, 2024
ABC releases technology guide for AI in construction
Associated Builders and Contractors has released an artificial intelligence (AI) technology guide for the U.S. construction industry. AI in Construction — What Does It Mean for Our Contractors? outlines definitions, construction use cases, and considerations for the implementation of AI in construction.
Codes and Standards | Feb 20, 2024
AISC, AIA release second part of design assist guidelines for the structural steel industry
The American Institute of Steel Construction and AIA Contract Documents have released the second part of a document intended to provide guidance for three common collaboration strategies.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 19, 2024
Sports stadium developers sweeten projects with affordable housing to gain support
In recent years, sports stadium developers have been including affordable housing in their projects to win support from local governments and community activists.
MFPRO+ News | Feb 15, 2024
UL Solutions launches indoor environmental quality verification designation for building construction projects
UL Solutions recently launched UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for New Construction, an indoor environmental quality verification designation for building construction projects.
MFPRO+ News | Feb 15, 2024
Nine states pledge to transition to heat pumps for residential HVAC and water heating
Nine states have signed a joint agreement to accelerate the transition to residential building electrification by significantly expanding heat pump sales to meet heating, cooling, and water heating demand. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by directors of environmental agencies from California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island.
MFPRO+ News | Feb 15, 2024
Oregon, California, Maine among states enacting policies to spur construction of missing middle housing
Although the number of new apartment building units recently reached the highest point in nearly 50 years, construction of duplexes, triplexes, and other buildings of from two to nine units made up just 1% of new housing units built in 2022. A few states have recently enacted new laws to spur more construction of these missing middle housing options.
Green | Feb 15, 2024
FEMA issues guidance on funding for net zero buildings
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently unveiled new guidance on additional assistance funding for net zero buildings. The funding is available for implementing net-zero energy projects with a tie to disaster recovery or mitigation.
Codes | Feb 9, 2024
Illinois releases stretch energy code for building construction
Illinois is the latest jurisdiction to release a stretch energy code that provides standards for communities to mandate more efficient building construction. St. Louis, Mo., and a few states, including California, Colorado, and Massachusetts, currently have stretch codes in place.
Modular Building | Jan 19, 2024
Virginia is first state to adopt ICC/MBI offsite construction standards
Virginia recently became the first state to adopt International Code Council/Modular Building Institute off-site construction standards.
Modular Building | Jan 19, 2024
Building with shipping containers not as eco-friendly as it seems
With millions of shipping containers lying empty at ports around the world, it may seem like repurposing them to construct buildings would be a clear environmental winner. The reality of building with shipping containers is complicated, though, and in many cases isn’t a net-positive for the environment, critics charge, according to a report by NPR's Chloe Veltman.
