They cleaned up ground zero. Now many are hiding from ICE

After 9/11, thousands of rescue and cleanup crews went to work at ground zero. They were exposed to toxic debris and experienced psychological trauma. Today, many say they live in fear of deportation.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4500x3375+0+0/resize/4500x3375!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F21%2Fa9%2F47eb98314e229e7b619d81398896%2Fdscf7770.jpg' alt='Lucelly, who asked NPR to withhold her last name, is an undocumented worker from Colombia who went to clean up at ground zero after the Sept. 11 attacks. Since then she has battled breast cancer and respiratory disease.'/><p>After 9/11, thousands of rescue and cleanup crews went to work at ground zero. They were exposed to toxic debris and experienced psychological trauma. Today, many say they live in fear of deportation.</p><p>(Image credit: Nate Langston Palmer for NPR)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5965553' />