A snapshot of the immigration story in Virginia

Herndon divided over day labor sites

Beginning in the Spring of 2005, long-time residents in Herndon, Virginia were conflicted over the construction of a day labor site. One group organized to keep it out of their towns borders saying it would only attract more undocumented immigrants. While another argued having an official site would stop the hundreds of men from gathering at the local 7-11 parking lot.

The following is a snap shot of their stories...

The day laborers at a new site

It was a bitter 7 degrees on Dec. 14, 2004, and the trickle of men began at 6 a.m. First some 20 and by 9:30 a.m., 106 men braved the cold and the flurry of local news vans, politicians and protesters. They meekly worked their way to the new day labor site to collect their tickets and wait for a willing employer to pick them up for the day. Most of the men were wearing two and three sweaters to keep warm.

Most of the guys say waiting for hours in the frigid temperatures is a small price to pay to earn a day's pay. Their side of the story? They traversed the treacherous southern border in order to work and send much needed money to families back home — mostly in Central America.

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Va.: The day laborers
At a new day labor site in Herndon, Virginia, most of the men who showed up say waiting for hours in the frigid temperatures is a small price to pay to earn a day's pay. There were supporters and protesters around to share their views.
Dateline NBC

And on this particular morning, it was the employers who would stay away. By 9 a.m. one employer whisked away two guys trying to avoid any unwanted attention. After three hours, dejected, the day laborers started their one-mile walk from the center to their homes. They feared that this day was just a sign of things to come.

CONTINUED : The Minutemen against them

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