"We couldn't have done it without them."

Nearly two years after Katrina, recovery efforts here in New Orleans proceed at a bureaucratic pace. Hurricane stories are so vivid that you get the sense the mighty storm blew through last week. Many houses, particularly in the lower Ninth Ward, still bear the the bold black spray- painted acronym "TFW" near the front door: Toxic Flood Water. A shrill reminder of the lethal impact of the catastrophe.

Some memories leave an indelible imprint. A refugee services coordinator stated emphatically, "We couldn't have done it without them." Even before evacuation orders were officially lifted, undocumented Latino workers began arriving in New Orleans. They were among the first wave of workers to deal with TFW, decomposed animal bodies, fungus, mold and miles of rotting garbage. They cleared out hospitals, public buildings and homes chock full of waterlogged furniture and destroyed appliances. Undocumented workers did some of the filthiest tasks, paving the way for the massive reconstruction efforts to follow.

While this city recovers, what's become of its earliest responders?

Soon after the grittiest work was done, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids began. Sites where day Latino day laborers gather each morning were targeted. Round up and "removal" (read detention or deportation) of workers without papers began. The Greyhound bus station has become another site for these raids. ICE officials routinely single out Latino passengers. The three regional ICE detention centers are being filled so fast that another 1,200 bunk facility is slated to open this fall in rural Jena, LA.

Contractor abuse of migrants is rampant. Non-payment of wages is common. Many workers are not afforded adequate safety equipment. The infamous "Katrina cough", the result of exposure to toxic substances, is common among these workers. Contractors are routinely denying access to worker compensation for on-the-job injuries. Living conditions for laborers are often overcrowded and unsanitary. Frequently the cost for this housing is deducted from the wage. Complaints regarding these conditions are reportedly met with contractor threats to report workers to ICE.

In short, the BWD's first off-border stop was met with evidence of the wholesale abuse of migrants in the work place even as some locals acknowledge that New Orleans would not be as far along in its recovery efforts today without the early, risky and dedicated efforts of these workers.