COVID-19 Has Hit Undocumented Immigrants Hardest

Americas Now

For tax-paying undocumented immigrants the COVID-19 pandemic left them with neither income or help

Among those most severely impacted by Covid-19 in the United States are Hispanic migrants who’ve been losing their jobs in significant numbers  A few months ago just 5% of them were unemployed. Today nearly 20% are out of work.

Perhaps suffering the most are undocumented workers in the U.S. state of California.

They benefit from neither unemployment insurance nor the $2.2 trillion stimulus signed in 2020 by U.S. President Donald Trump. Though they collectively pay over two and a half billion dollars in local and state taxes each year.

Large numbers of legal migrants are eligible to apply for unemployment benefits but they are afraid to because of a new policy that makes it more difficult for immigrants to gain permanent resident status if they seek public assistance.

Mike Kirsch reports from Southern California.