“If I were undocumented in a situation like this, I would feel more afraid than normal,”
-Dr. Elizabeth Lozano, Director of the Communication Studies Program at Loyola University Chicago.
We interviewed her for her extensive work advocating for undocumented people. She concluded that undocumented immigrants are often on the margins of society, even if they have been in that place in the society for a long time.
What it's like not being protected
45% of non-elderly undocumented immigrants are uninsured nationwide according to According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, an American non-profit health organization. These undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in Medicaid or CHIP or to purchase coverage options. Uninsured undocumented immigrants are ineligable for coverage options due to their immigration status. Without coverage, they remain reliant on safety net clinics and hospitals for care that they often do not adequately receive.
Who is not being Protected
A self-described left leaning alliance of American university leaders, the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, says that more than 450,000 Undocumented Students are enrolled in Colleges & Universities in the United States.
TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college access and success program for Dreamers, found that Covid 19 has a negative impact on dreamers. In a recent survey of more than 1,600 Dreamer students, they found that 65% of them need help with rent and or utilities and 48% need help with food and meals. Many students also reported anxiety that negatively impacted their ability to do well in online classes. The report titled Undocumented Students in Higher Education: How Many Students are in U.S. Colleges and Universities and Who Are They? explores how undocumented students are a crucial part in dealing with the Coronavirus crises. Already, 280,000 undocumented immigrants, including 62,000 DACA-eligible individuals, are serving on the front lines of the Coronavirus crisis as healthcare workers, according to the Partnership for a New American Economy, which is a a nonprofit, bipartisan immigration research organization. |