ICE raids stall reconstruction of homes destroyed by California's Eaton wildfire

One year after the Eaton wildfire reduced Altadena to ash, reconstruction is hampered by frequent ICE inspections that deter undocumented construction workers. Site managers like Ian Hernández routinely scan social media for immigration agents before arriving, and several raids have led to arrests of laborers en route to jobs. Migrant rights groups claim ICE has been active at construction sites, bus stops and coffee shops, while the Department of Homeland Security defends the operations as essential to dismantling illegal labor markets.

The rebuilding effort also faces bureaucratic delays, with permits taking up to 125 business days, insufficient insurance payouts, and higher costs for materials and labor. Residents such as Damon Blount hope to move into partially finished homes by Christmas, but fear further raids could push timelines back. Community leaders and local officials criticize the raids as counterproductive to disaster recovery and call for protection of the workers who are rebuilding the area.