As we know, immigrants—documented and undocumented alike—have been crucial to fighting the coronavirus pandemic and keeping the country running during this difficult year, while also bearing the brunt of the crisis. A new study by the group FWD.US has revealed just how essential these workers are.
According to the study, which is based on 2019 Census Bureau data, 69% of undocumented immigrants in the United States, which accounts for over 5 million people, have jobs in industries deemed “essential” to fight the pandemic by the Department of Homeland Security. This includes jobs in industries like agriculture, housing and facilities, food services and production, transportation, and health.
The study also estimates that one in five essential workers in the United States is an immigrant. Among these workers, 70% have lived in the United States for over 10 years, and 60% speak English. Additionally, approximately one million essential workers are Dreamers protected by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which grants legal status to undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children and has survived multiple attacks by the Trump administration.
The incoming Biden administration recognizes the essentiality of immigrant and Latino workers. “This pandemic has shown the world who essential workers really are – and many of them are Latino workers who feed the country, keep our communities clean, and care for our loved ones,” its website reads.
Among the administration’s proposed policies are plans to protect immigrant workers, documented and undocumented. For starters, the Biden administration has pledged to send a bill to Congress to create a roadmap to citizenship for the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants who live in the country during its first 100 days in office. Additionally, the administration plans to enforce labor and safety rules to protect workers regardless of legal status and end workplace and community raids. Lastly, the administration will provide a path to legalization for agricultural workers which, as we can see from the study, are in large part composed of undocumented immigrants. These workers, who have always been essential to putting food on the tables of American families, will be provided legal status based on prior agricultural history and a faster track to a green card and citizenship.
Photos: FWD.US