OCTOBER 2025 – Houston-based journalist Claudia Kolker for years has been writing on immigration issues, and last month The Houston Chronicle published some timely interviews of immigrant workers. Her piece – headlined “We Risk Our Lives to Roof Houses” – was published last month, and it gained a comment-board following on places like Reddit and Facebook.
Notably, the interviews appear in the Houston news site’s Opinion section – additional proof that op-eds are delivering more original reporting than ever these days, especially from experienced journalists who are no longer full-time staffers.
The Chronicle has its paywall, of course, so here’s a quick passage:
“It costs about $13,000 for undocumented workers to replace a small roof, and $20,000 for Americans to do the exact same work. I want President Trump to realize that people are risking their lives for $200 a day. Rather than deporting us, he should look at what America really needs.”
Kolker is a former Los Angeles Times bureau chief in Houston and for years was a Chronicle writer and editor. Her book “The Immigrant Advantage” was published by Simon & Schuster in 2011.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/houston-roofers-immigration-21053623.php