Summary

The first responders to the World Trade Center explosion were firefighters and EMTs, but the second responders were undocumented immigrants, mostly Eastern European and Latin American. Many of the workers—some who were never paid—have developed a number of health conditions including cancer, asthma and psychological anxiety. Many 9/11 workers are on anti-depressant medication and some have attempted commit suicide. In 2017 these same workers worry about deportation from ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and have flashbacks from the cleanup work they performed at Ground Zero.

One immigrant worker, Rafael, showed up at 9/11 with his Mexican firefighters’ card, ran up the North Tower and saved a pregnant woman by carrying her down 28 flights of stairs. This work gave him lung issues; in 2011, he died. Milton, his friend, wishes to write a memoir based on the undocumented workers who toiled at Ground Zero. Despite this...