A dozen day laborers gathered on a recent evening at an immigrant day worker center in Staten Island’s Port Richmond neighborhood. Some have already started doing clean-up and repairing people’s homes in Sandy’s wake. Others expected to do so in the coming weeks and months. They were at the center to take part in a training session. “We want to make sure they know how to be safe doing the type of work,” said Gonzalo Mercado, the center’s executive director. “There is a lot of pollution and problems with safety, especially after disaster happens.” These day laborers are mostly illegal immigrants. They’re not authorized to work in the United States, but they have long been part of the city’s fabric. On Staten Island, they helped build many of the homes that Sandy destroyed, and they’ll help re-build them. Mercado says his center been receiving calls from homeowners and businesses who want to hire. The center can match employers with around 40 day laborers who usually come to this ce
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