On a recent Saturday in Downey, California, shoppers at a local Home Depot saw something very different from the usual weekend rush for paint and potting soil. Video from the parking lot shows federal immigration agents speeding away as people run through the area, trying to understand what just happened.
Local authorities have not said whether anyone was detained or why that particular store was targeted. In a written statement, Downey Mayor Claudia M. Frometa stressed that the city’s priority is “the safety and dignity of every member of our community” and urged residents to know their rights while not interfering with federal operations.
Immigration enforcement and community safety in Downey
For many residents, a big-box home-improvement store is simply where you pick up lumber, seal a drafty window, or buy drought-tolerant plants to cut down that painful summer electric bill. For day laborers and contractors who gather in those parking lots, it is also a workplace and a lifeline.
A large share of those workers are immigrants who keep California’s construction and landscaping sectors going, including the crews that install rooftop solar, upgrade insulation, and plant shade trees that cool overheated streets. When immigration agents roll through those spaces, the shock does not stop at the curb.
Immigrant workers in construction and the clean energy economy
Numbers tell part of the story. Nationally, immigrants now account for roughly one-quarter of the construction workforce, and in California they represent about 41% of construction labor, far higher than in most states. In practical terms, that means a significant share of the people hanging energy-efficient drywall, wiring heat pumps, and building flood-resilient infrastructure were born outside the United States.
Research also finds that immigrants are heavily represented in landscaping services and groundskeeping jobs, roles that are central to urban tree canopy, park maintenance, and climate-friendly yard care.
Recycling, waste management, and the energy transition workforce
The pattern extends beyond construction. In New York State, for example, reporting has shown that the fragile bottle and can recycling system relies largely on low-paid immigrant workers and seniors who quietly keep mountains of material out of landfills.
Other studies note that immigrants already play a notable role in both “green” and “brown” jobs connected to the energy transition, from solar installation to waste management and building services.
These are not abstract climate buzzwords. They are the people sorting our trash, sweeping industrial dust from warehouse floors, and handling chemicals that most of us only see on warning labels.
Workplace safety, labor rights, and environmental protections
Experts in workplace health and safety have repeatedly warned that aggressive immigration enforcement can ripple through these sectors in ways that are bad for both workers and the environment.
Investigations by journalists and researchers suggest that fear of deportation makes many immigrants less likely to report unsafe working conditions, whether the danger is extreme heat on a roof, pesticide exposure in a field, or toxic fumes in a recycling plant.
When people feel they could be detained for simply showing up at a job site, speaking up about a broken harness or a leaking solvent tank can feel even riskier. The trouble is, environmental protections only work if someone is willing to raise a hand when things go wrong.
Know your rights and climate resilience
That is why the Downey mayor’s call to review “know your rights” information matters beyond immigration law alone. Clear guidance can help residents understand that all workers, regardless of status, have the right to a safe workplace and to seek medical care for heat stress or chemical exposure.
Federal agencies have also promised protections for immigrant workers who cooperate with labor investigations, although advocates note that there is often a gap between written policy and what people experience on the ground. For environmental and public health groups, moments like the Downey sweep are a reminder that climate resilience is not only about technology. It is also about whether the people who build and maintain that infrastructure feel safe enough to report hazards and participate in community decisions.
The green transition and who builds it
Seen through that lens, a brief, unexplained visit by immigration agents to a Home Depot parking lot is not just a local news item. It is a flashpoint in a larger question about who carries the weight of the green transition and how secure they feel while doing it.
Cities that want cleaner air, cooler neighborhoods, and sturdy homes in the face of extreme weather will rely heavily on immigrant workers. Protecting their rights and dignity is not separate from sustainability. It is part of the foundation.
