‘Any mistake can take your life’: the immigrant women working construction in New York

Higher pay and appealing schedules are drawing women to the industry, as advocates confront the threat of exploitation

At 7am, Elizabeth Reyes lines up at a designated street corner, called la parada, next to a Brooklyn highway overpass. As the sun rises higher, drivers pull up with offers shouted from the window in Spanish: house cleaning, dishwashing. It's hours before an employer finally arrives with the opportunity she's waiting for: construction.

Quien tiene tarjeta?" Who has a card? he yells out. He's not referring to immigration documents, but a certification by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha). When Reyes yells that she does, the driver replies, Vamos," and motions for her to hop in.