Key Bridge collapse victims were 'hard workers,' says organization aimed at helping immigrants

BALTIMORE -- A national nonprofit is describing some of the construction workers who were working on the Francis Scott Key Bridge as strong community leaders Wednesday.

Six construction workers fell into the Patapsco River early Tuesday morning when the bridge collapsed. Two were recovered near the site in a red pickup truck, while four others are presumed dead.

CASA is a national organization aiming to better the lives of immigrant communities. Its Baltimore office said two of the workers, Miguel Luna and Maynor Suazo, served their mission well.

CASA Executive Director Gustavo Torres, over a Zoom call with reporters Tuesday, said Suazo was going to celebrate his birthday soon.

"He was always full of joy. The family was getting up for his birthday celebration on April 27 when Maynor was turning 35 years old," he said.

Luna and Suazo are said to be longtime CASA members, according to Torres. Both were very active in their communities, pushing for reforms and other measures to help their neighbors' lives.

"In a time when there's so much hatred against the immigrant community, we look to the leadership of Maynor and Miguel and appreciate how they uphold our society," Torres said.

Since the bridge collapse, Torres said CASA has been working to get resources to all of the construction workers' families.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baltimore's Highlandtown neighborhood has also reached out, but the Archdiocese of Baltimore as a whole has been helping.

"The Esperanza Center, which is run by Catholic Charities, is engaged in reaching out to the families with all kinds of services," Archbishop William Lori told WJZ Tuesday evening.

Everyone helping the families say their support will go on for as long as they need, to repay Luna and Suazo for what they did for their communities.

"We know they were hard workers, we know that they love soccer, we know that they love their families and community," Torres said. "We know that they were, both of them, extraordinary human beings."

Torres said CASA will be revealing more about how the public can help these families as they sort out the situation.