TAMPA, Fla. — It’ll take weeks, even months, for some people to rebuild after Hurricane Idalia hit last week, but there’s a concern from some that the process could be slower than usual after some immigrants moved out of state.
After a hurricane, the work can seem endless.
"We're currently working on a home. We are cleaning it up, so a lot of mucking and demolition,” said Rogelio.
Rogelio is a resilience worker who goes and rebuilds after natural disasters. Right now, he’s in Crystal River helping after last week’s storm.
He spoke to ABC Action News through an interpreter.
"I don't have a status. I guess what you'd call undocumented,” said Rogelio. “But I've been here in the U.S. for 23 years, and in those 23 years, I've been doing good things."
Advocates point out that immigrant workers often help clean up after hurricanes and other natural disasters. But with Florida’s strict new immigration law, they say that could mean fewer workers to assist recovery efforts.
"We're about approximately 1,500 workers who come and help and rebuild after disasters,” said Rogelio. “At the moment, out of those 1,500, no one wants to come to Florida because of this new law."
"The fear that these migrant workers have is real,” said Renata Castro, an immigration attorney with Castro Legal Group.
Castro explained that many of these workers are first on scene because they’re eager to work and provide for their families.
"They're worried that the state of Florida, state troopers, and local police departments are going to be detaining them, not at the job site, but driving to and from work because, particularly during a time of hurricane recovery, the job sites are very fluid,” said Castro.
Rogelio explained he understands the law is the law, but still, he believes it’s clear people need help to get on their feet.
“In the moments of fear, I think about God, about my family in Houston,” said Rogelio. “We have kids. We have a family. We're just here to help other people and to help support our family."
ABC Action News reached out to the Governor’s Office about these concerns and if they expect a slower cleanup from storms and are waiting to hear back.