Less-populated areas may be hit disproportionately hard, including small towns such as Pollock, La., where the biggest employer is a federal penitentiary. But many said they were doing so simply to find out if they could pay mortgages, plan vacations or take care of car payments. “I don’t think anybody who works for the government is worried about if this wall gets built or not,” said La-Shanda Palmer, a T.S.A. She said she called her utility company hoping for an accommodation; she did not get a break. An officer at another prison wondered how many of her colleagues would end up staying home because they could not afford gas.

Source: New York Times January 04, 2019 00:04 UTC