Undocumented in the Time of Pandemic
Being undocumented during the pandemic means greater risk of COVID-19 infection, increased financial strain, and heightened fear.
Our undocumented sample members work cleaning homes or businesses or in restaurants, construction, or retail. For these jobs, working from home is not an option, close contact with others is often unavoidable, and they may be deemed "essential." Some have been hospitalized with COVID themselves; others know many people who have been ill. As the state reopens, it will be workers in these sectors who will be the most exposed especially if safe reopening procedures and social distancing measures are not enforced.
As we noted in an earlier post, undocumented workers are experiencing the greatest financial strain during the crisis. When their workplaces close, they cannot access unemployment benefits, the $1200 stimulus checks, and most forms of public assistance.
“Cuando llego esto del virus los restaurantes fueron una de las primeras cosas que cerraron. Perdimos nuestro empleo. En mi caso mi empleador despidió a todo el mundo” ■ “[When this virus came the restaurants were one of the first things they shut down. We lost our employment. In my case the employer let everyone go.” ]
“Los pagos no se pagan…pero se va acumulando.” ■ [“Payments aren’t being paid but they’re accumulating.”]
To add to the anxiety from the possibility of getting infected and the stress of financial hardship, there is the fear that asking for help could affect a future immigration application or result in deportation.
“Al principio si me dio miedo aplicar, me dio susto como ponerme en manos de, de inmigración… me dio miedo poner mi información y mi nombre en el Sistema. Después no me sentía tan asustado porque era necesario.” ■ [“At the beginning yes I was afraid to apply, it scared me to put myself in the hands of, of immigration… it scared me to put my information and my name in the system. Later I wasn’t as scared because it was necessary.”
Respondents who are undocumented and unemployed have been relying on assistance from friends and relatives, landlords who are forgiving their rent, and programs run by non-profits or churches that don’t require information about their immigration status. One sample member said she is grateful that her U.S. citizen daughter will be receiving the P-EBT SNAP installments and was relieved that the information sent to them by her public school specifically stated that it would not affect any future immigration applications. While they see any assistance they can get as a lifeline, it’s often not enough to help these families avoid hunger.
“Lo que yo siempre digo, quisiera que hubiera un poquito más de justicia para los indocumentados. Por ejemplo, bueno yo se que un indocumentado tal vez los trabajos cuestan mucho y aveces abusan de uno como no pagarle horas de enfermedad por ser uno indocumentado. Y uno tambien trabaja, y trabaja duro uno tambien. Y eso fuera como muy bueno; que hubiera mas justicia para las personas” ■ [“What I always say, I would like a little more justice for the undocumented. For example, I know that jobs are hard for the undocumented and sometimes there’s abuse like not getting paid sick time because you’re undocumented. And you work, and you work hard too. And that would be good; that there was more justice for the people.”]
Names and some details have been changed to protect confidentiality