I writing from ignorance here, but I thought that construction jobs were pretty high paid—especially in NYC. Also, I imagine, unionized. So how are illegal aliens being allowed to work at NYC job sites?
Skilled jobs remain high paid, union or not. For unskilled/semiskilled, not so much anymore, albeit still better pay than in Texas. A large number of private sector projects are no longer unionized.
They are probably hired by subcontractors; many projects also require 51% minority workers (including preferred racial minorities and female workers).
As much as I like Mike Rowe’s “Dirty Jobs”, the fact is that many of those jobs are filled with unskilled illegals - at least in my area (in NJ, a dozen miles west of Manhattan). Friends in the trades have lost their jobs to them, and employers have no interest in hiring Americans if they can avoid it.
At a local outdoor flea market, you can see the illegals buying tools from the idled American workers; it is a shame...