It’s about 6 a.m. and 32 degrees in Plano, and dozens of day laborers have already shown up ready to work. The men lock their cars and walk across the street under the moonlight to check in at the city’s Day Labor Center off Ozark Drive. The Day Labor Center was created in 1994. “The original intent of that was to provide a place where we could have people who were searching for work coordinate with contractors, nonprofits and residents who were looking for labor,” Curtis Howard said. Howard is the director of Neighborhood Services for the City of Plano. “(Day laborers) will provide information on what skills they have, whether they have a license to drive, that sort of thing. And then we collect that information,” Howard said. “At some point, we’ll have either contractors or nonprofits or just residents who need some sort of services. We can coordinate with them to make sure that they get the appropriate person and then they negotiate the terms of that arrangement.” The center does not help negotiate pay nor do they provide legal advice. “Aquí se espera uno hasta que caiga oportunidad,” Juan said in Spanish. Juan is 64 years old. He said they wait outside the center until they have a job opportunity. The day laborers who spoke to NBC 5 asked that we only use their first names. “Puede ser desde 110 hasta 175 dólares al día,” William said. William said they can earn anywhere from $100-175 a day, depending on the job. The day laborers offer services including manual labor, construction, landscaping, moving, or any other odd job that doesn’t require a work permit. However, those present Wednesday morning said work has slowed down during the past three months. “Le hacemos la lucha,” Juan said which translates to we still try. Juan and many of the workers huddled outside said they were worried but would not give up. While they hope work will pick up in the near future, they said they are also worried about what is to come. “Se siente uno amenazado,” Juan said. He describes the feeling as fear. They are not scared of the workload or that they sometimes are without a job for days. William said, “El temor de que uno puede ser deportado y no poder lograr sus objetivos.” William explained his fear is about being deported and being unable to accomplish their goals. For many, fear and worry have intensified as they wonder what will happen under a new administration that has promised mass deportations. Experts have voiced concerns over the effects it could cause in the labor force. For every 500,000 immigrants removed from the U.S., a 2023 study in the Journal of Labor Economics estimated 44,000 U.S.-born workers could lose their jobs. William said he still has hope that his future in this country is bright. “El nuevo presidente, aparte de lo que él ha anunciado de las deportaciones, que según va a generar un poco más de empleo,” William said. William explained that in addition to the promises of mass deportations made by President-elect Donald Trump, he has also heard that Trump intends to create job opportunities. “Eso esperemos nos pueda ayudar,” William said. William hopes those jobs will also be beneficial to him and other day laborers.