In a small meeting room in Jackson Heights Saturday night, the painful past is yet again front and center.
"I constantly have nightmares of what happened," Rubiela Arias said through a translator.
Rubiela Arias worked with demolition crews at the World Trade Center following the terror attacks on September 11, 2001.
She blames the toxic air at the site for her multiple respiratory problems and other physical and mental ailments.
"Sometimes it's even hard to get up and walk around as well as the constant aches in my body," Arias said.
Despite being an undocumented worker from Colombia, Arias' medical bills are covered under the Zadroga Act.
The bill, named after NYPD officer James Zadroga, whose death was the first to be linked to the attacks, covers medical bills for those who became sick following the rescue and recovery efforts.
However, organizers are pushing congressional lawmakers to do even more for the approximately 1,200 undocumented immigrants who helped in the aftermath.
"They proved to us they were worthy on 9/11 and we should be worthy enough to provide them with legalization," said Alex Sanchez of United We Stand.
Sanchez says his group wants politicians to pass a law allowing undocumented September 11 workers a pathway to permanent residency.
He also wants the government to provide them with access to their home countries, considering the severity of their illnesses.
Rosemaria Bramble, who provides emotional therapy for these workers, says it's a small price to pay considering their sacrifice.
"It's been a very ambiguous kind of situation. I'm here I worked, but at the same time do I have the rights," Bramble said.
So the next step organizers say is they want to hold a meeting with elected officials and present signatures. They're hoping to get that all done before April.