An estimated 6,000 undocumented immigrants participated in the 9/11 recovery and cleanup efforts.
Posted by The Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg Show, Checked
- Sources
- 3 contradict4 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 50%
The Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg ShowSep 12, 2026
The 6,000 figure is a real published estimate, traced to a 2016 NY1 report and repeated in 2021 and 2026 coverage, but other sources give 2,000 to 6,000 or about 2,000 as the undocumented count, so the figure is one end of a disputed range.
A detail. The sources confirm the gist; the verdict faults a detail such as a date, number or wording.
What was said
… There's no record of them existing. We cannot, you know, publish their name. And then I think the most egregious part of the 9-11 immigrant community situation is just how many undocumented immigrants were part of the cleanup efforts at Ground Zero. So there were an estimated 6,000 undocumented immigrants who participated in the recovery and cleanup, and an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 didn't have they remain without legal status. And so, in the years since then, many of them have been deported by George Bush. Some of them were deported. Some of them were deported by Obama. …
The Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg Show · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. Other sources give lower figures: NBC News (2017) and Documented (2023) put undocumented workers at up to 2,000, and a 2021 NBC New York report cites 2,000 as the bill's target population.[2][3][4]
Supports. Several sources state an estimate of about 6,000 undocumented immigrants took part in the recovery and cleanup efforts, including a 2016 NY1 report and a 2021 Democracy Now segment.[6][7]
Supports. A 2026 NPR report says as many as 6,000 cleanup workers were undocumented, and the 2021 congressional testimony cites the NY1 6,000 estimate.[1][5]
Context. The 2026 NPR, ImmigrationUSA and New Republic pieces describe the count as uncertain, ranging from 2,000 to 6,000, with no official count. The claimed 6,000 falls at the top of that range, so the figure is disputed rather than refuted.[5][8][9]
Sources
9 sources: 1 primary, 2 tier 2, 6 not rated
- 1Microsoft Word - Judiciary Testimony_ 9_11 Immigrant Worker Freedom Bill.docxdocs.house.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 2New York lawmakers push to legalize undocumented 9/11 workersnbcnews.com · tier 2 · cited for: contradicts
- 3Undocumented Clean Up Workers Are The "Forgotten Heroes" of 9/11 Attack - Documenteddocumentedny.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 4Immigrant 9/11 Cleanup Crews Seek Residency as Reward for Work, Health Issues Sufferednbcnewyork.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 5They rushed into the wreckage of 9/11. Now many live in ... - NPRnpr.org · tier 2 · cited for: supports, context
- 620 Years Later, Undocumented Immigrants Who Aided 9/11 ...democracynow.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Undocumented Workers Exposed to Toxins During WTC Cleanup Also Feeling Health Effects 15 Years Laterspectrumnews1.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 8Undocumented Workers of Ground Zero Targeted by ICE » ImmigrationUSAimmigrationusa.com · not rated · cited for: context
- 99/11 Workers Are Hiding From Trump’s ICE Raidsnewrepublic.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Between 1,000 and 2,000 undocumented immigrants who participated in the 9/11 cleanup remain without legal status.Mixed
- Undocumented immigrants who participated in the 9/11 cleanup were deported by the George W. Bush administration.Can’t tell
- 62 undocumented immigrants who worked at the World Trade Center were not officially identified as 9/11 victims.Mixed
- Undocumented immigrants who participated in the 9/11 cleanup were ineligible for the Victim Compensation Fund.False
- 67 undocumented immigrants were identified as victims of the 9/11 attacks.Can’t tell