Latino migrant workers are doing just that in the wake of hurricane Wilma’s path through Florida. Thousands of workers far from home have no transportation means to leave the affected areas, nor do they have access to emergency assistance given their legal status. From the Talahassee Democrat:

But perhaps a bigger worry is what happens after the hurricane passes: Illegal workers do not qualify for most government disaster assistance like cash vouchers or temporary housing — already a crucial issue in Immokalee — and many are unaware of other relief outfits or are too fearful to ask. After Hurricane Charley rampaged through Southwest Florida last year, fewer migrant workers than expected showed up at disaster relief stations for help.

People are also afraid of government agencies sharing their information with immigration officials, risking deportation. With no real support system, all these people can do is huddle together and hope for the best:

“If it comes, I suppose we’ll go to the school,” said Reina Garcia, 33, who is from Huehuetenango, in Guatemala’s highlands, and lives in a ramshackle trailer with six others. Asked how she would get there, she laughed, flashing silver-capped front teeth, and replied, “We’ll run.”

…mainstream media is obsessed with covering the devastation of Wilma in Mexico via the inconveniences it has caused tourists.

As my colleague focused on in her post from this morning, mainstream media is obsessed with covering the devastation of Wilma in Mexico via the inconveniences it has caused tourists.

I’m glad the Talahassee Democrat has turned the tortilla to focus on what is happening to Latinos here in the U.S. They don’t have a vacation to have it ruined. They don’t have a dime to their names. All they can do is look out for themselves.

Via The Talahassee Democrat / Hispanic Tips