Page 121 - Business Principles and Management

Case Study

ILLEGALS EXPLOITED IN KATRINA CLEANUP

Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of Mis-
sissippi. Post-Katrina reconstruction in New Orleans has depended heav-
ily upon illegal workers from Mexico who appear at dawn and wait to
be picked up for 14-hour shifts of hauling debris, ripping out drywall,
and nailing walls.
Before Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana had one of the smallest Hispanic
populations in the country. Hispanics represented 2.5 percent of residents,
compared with 12.5 percent nationally. Nearly 100,000 Hispanics
moved to the Gulf Coast region after Katrina, lured by promises of plenti-
ful work and high wages. Nearly one-fourth of the construction workers
in New Orleans are illegal immigrants.
Since many of the workers rebuilding New Orleans are in the U.S.
illegally, they are vulnerable to exploitation. They work in hazardous
conditions without protective gear and earn much less than their legal
counterparts. Documented workers in New Orleans are paid $16.50
per hour, while illegal immigrants are paid $10 per hour.
Workers from Mexico have responded to a national priority to rebuild
the city while their rights to safety are being violated. Under federal labor
laws, illegal immigrants are given the same health and safety protections
as documented workers.
Fewer than one-third of illegal immigrants said that they understood
the hazards of removing asbestos or mold, compared with more than
65 percent of documented laborers. Many immigrant workers are afraid to
raise their concerns to employers for fear they will be deported to Mexico.
Protecting the border between the United States and Mexico has be-
come a hot political topic. Numerous illegal immigrants are performing
important work in construction, agriculture, food processing, and the
reconstruction of areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Opinion polls
indicate that Americans want the borders tightened to shut down the
pipeline of illegal immigrants coming into the United States.

THINK CRITICALLY
1. Why are illegal workers likely candidates for rebuilding the areas
devastated by Hurricane Katrina?
2. Why do workers from Mexico risk coming to the United States for
employment?
3. What are two ethical issues involved with this case?
4. What types of jobs provide popular employment for illegal immi-
grants? Why?

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