Among piles of rusted tin, puddles of oil, mud, and potholes filled with stagnant water, José Martín earns a living as a mechanic at a small auto body shop on 37th Street in Willets Point, located in the area surrounding the CitiField baseball stadium, home of the Mets.

The neighborhood is home to 250 repair shops that provide jobs to 1,700 workers, 90 percent of them Latino.

Martín, 23 years old and originally from El Salvador, earns half of the money it costs to fix a car. He said that his boss keeps the rest. Martín is very concerned about the precarious economic circumstances in Willets Point, given that just a few years ago, "I was earning a lot more, but nowadays work is scarce."

He claimed that raids conducted by the city "scare away clients," which hits the neighborhood's workers really hard.

"On December 8th, more than 100 policeman and 50 patrol cars showed up. They arrested 16 people. All of this stirred up fear between the clients and the workers that earn a living here. The situation is becoming increasingly difficult," said Martín.

Eighty percent of the 62 acres that make up Willets Point belongs to the city, which plans to invest $300 million to redevelop the area for tourism. To do that, the city has to relocate the established businesses.

Marcos Neira, president of the Committee for the Defense of Willets Point (CDWP), told El Diario/La Prensa: "The city offers to help us relocate individually, but we can't accept that because it would mean many repair shops shutting down. We demand to be relocated all together."

Some businesses in Willets Point closed and moved to a vacant area in College Point after reaching a settlement with the authorities.

Neira said that businesses must remain in the same neighborhood in order to keep prices reasonable.

"Thousands of jobs are at risk of being lost. You can see dozens of closed repair shops on 38th Street," he added.

Jolie Wood, spokesperson for the NYC Economic Development Corporation, said, "The relocation of some businesses in College Point benefits the neighborhood, because we will be able to modernize the area and create better jobs opportunities and economic development."

The office of Julissa Ferreras, the City Council member who represents Willets Point, said, "The relocation of the businesses of Willets Point is a priority. We hope to reach a resolution very soon."

 While business owners and authorities negotiate settlements for relocating, the workers not only face an uncertain future, but unpredictable employment opportunities.

Arcadio Córdoba, who has worked in the area for 10 years, said, "I work very hard painting cars. I don't have a mask to protect me. I breathe in the paint fumes and that has done a lot of damage to my health. Other people also work without the necessary safety equipment."

 Córdoba said that many repair shops don't have fire extinguishers or safety exits. The poor working conditions of Willets Point have resulted in falls and some accidents.

"We are living in fear. The authorities want to displace the repair shops. The owners don't want to go," he asserted.

Córdoba said that many employees don't dare to report the poor working conditions because of their legal status.