They cleaned up after 9/11. Now they face illness and deportation fears

WBUR

Published September 9, 2026 at 12:06 PM EDT

As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11, thousands of workers without legal status who cleaned up Lower Manhattan in the wake of the attacks remain in the shadows, facing chronic illness and the constant threat of deportation.

NPR’s Jasmine Garsd reports.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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They cleaned up after 9/11. Now they face illness and deportation fears

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