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Oft-Maligned Day Laborers Help With Wildfire Clean-Up

Immigrants rights activists are handing out 10,000 dust masks to day laborers in areas affected by San Diego's recent wildfires. KPBS reporter Amy Isackson has the story.

Oft-Maligned Day Laborers Help With Wildfire Clean-Up

Immigrants rights activists are handing out 10,000 dust masks to day laborers in areas affected by San Diego's recent wildfires. KPBS reporter Amy Isackson has the story.

Immigrants rights activist Claudia Smith gave 10 masks each to day laborers waiting for work on a busy San Diego street corner.

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Smith warned the workers about the long-term effects of the toxic brew of ash left behind by the fires.

And the great irony is that the much maligned day laborers, given that in San Diego the day labor sites have become the front lines in the immigration debate, are going to be in great demand to do clean up.

Day laborers say work has picked up during the last few days with jobs cleaning ash off people's homes and gardens.

Disaster relief group Operation USA donated the masks, 300 pairs of goggles and 1,000 pairs of gloves.

Amy Isackson, KPBS News.