Authors: Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter
Affiliation: New York University School of Law and MPI
Organization/Publisher: Migration Policy Institute
Date/Place: April 24, 2020/USA
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 4398
Link:https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/covid19-immigrants-shut-out-federal-relief
Keywords: US, Immigrants, COVID-19, Relief, CARES Act
Brief:
Although approximately 12 million immigrant workers in the US play a central role in the war against the virus, the authors state that they are still victims of discrimination .Even the federal pandemic-relief packages, signed by the Congress, are excluding the unauthorized and “their U.S.-citizen and legal permanent resident relatives”, a total number of 15.4 million people, from the most important measure – the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Besides suffering economic hardship which is also affecting the remittances to the immigrant’s countries, immigrants experience difficulties in accessing health care in case they get infected with COVID-19.The authors further discuss a study of the New York University of COVID-19 and state that Black Americans have the highest death toll in all 33 states analyzed in the study. Living conditions, such as overcrowded households and lower median incomes, compared to native-born residents, are named as factors that make immigrants more vulnerable to COVID-19. However, state and local governments, philanthropic and grass-root organizations in seven localities tackled this problem by creating funds to help low-income families and to help those who have been economically impacted by COVID-19.Even in times of the pandemic, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is continuing removals: in the beginning of April, President Trump ordered visa sanctions on countries “that refuse to accept deportees during the pandemic”. The authors conclude by highlighting that the effects of COVID-19 have clearly revealed “fundamental, systemic inequities and weaknesses of the U.S. economy and society at large”.
By: Dilek Yücel-Kamadan, CIGA Research Associate
