Tesla And SpaceX Relied On Undocumented Workers, Investigation Reveals

Undocumented migrants were among the many workers employed to help build Telsa and SpaceX facilities just outside of Austin, TX, despite Elon Musk’s call for stricter immigration policies, a Bloomberg investigation has revealed.

Bloomberg Businessweek interviewed labor advocates, contract managers, and ten undocumented workers employed by third-party contractors. To verify their ties to Tesla and SpaceX, Businessweek reviewed site photos and videos taken by employees and confirmed details through family and friends.

Undocumented migrant labor at Tesla and SpaceX

Undocumented workers have reportedly been a regular part of Tesla’s workforce since construction began on its 10-million-square-foot gigafactory in 2020. Some started working more recently, while Elon Musk has been strengthening his ties with the US government.

The investigation found that Tesla’s rapid construction timeline drove the reliance on undocumented labor. Contractors, prioritizing speed, hired labor brokers to bring in workers from the border. These workers were usally paid lower wages, and contractors often failed to check their identity documents. While Tesla had a policy to check worker authorization, it did not enforce it.

What were the conditions like for undocumented workers?

Undocumented workers reported facing long hours shifts with minimal breaks and a lack of appropriate safety gear despite exposure to hazardous environments. They also reported limited access to water, with some supervisors discouraging water breaks to reduce bathroom trips.

Workers risked heatstroke and other health issues, with at least one worker, Anselmo Ramirez, dying from hyperthermia in 2021. There were also reports of chaotic work environments, unbarricaded areas, high injury rates, and fake OSHA safety cards.

Union membership was nearly impossible for undocumented workers as many unions require legal work authorization. The risk of deportation kept others from complaining.

Elon Musk’s Views on Immigration

Despite Tesla and SpaceX being built by undocumented immigrants, Musk has made his stance on immigration quite clear. Last year, Musk shared on X that he thought the migrants posed a risk to public safety; he believed Democrats were weaponizing immigration and new migrants receive special treatment. So, why was Musk so comfortable to benefit from the labor of migrant workers?

When Samuel, an undocumented laborer who helped to build SpaceX’s factory in Bastrop, asked himself why Musk hires immigrants when he doesn’t want them in the country, he said, “he accepts it because he’s charged less for the work.”

However, the Washington Post reported that the South African-born businessman had no legal right to work in the US while building Zip2, his company that he later sold for $300 million in 1999. In 2005, in an email, Musk acknowledged that he did not have authorization to be in the US when he launched Zip2. However, on a podcast in 2020, Musk said, “I was legally there, but I was meant to be doing student work.”