WASHINGTON, DC — New data from FWD.us shows that undocumented immigrants represent a substantial and critical part of America’s essential COVID-19 workforce combating the deadly coronavirus pandemic and helping our communities respond from this crisis. In many major metro areas, the essential workforce includes thousands of undocumented immigrants, making up more than 10 percent of the total essential workforce.
These metro statistical areas include:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI with 220,000 undocumented essential workers making up 10% of the total essential workforce
- Columbus, OH with 20,000 undocumented essential workers making up 12% of the total essential workforce
- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX with 280,000 undocumented essential workers making up 10% of the total essential workforce
- Memphis, TN-MS-AR with 10,000 undocumented essential workers making up 13% of the total essential workforce
- Modesto, CA with 10,000 undocumented essential workers making up 12% of the total essential workforce
- New Orleans-Metairie, LA with 10,000 undocumented essential workers making up 10% of the total essential workforce
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL with 50,000 undocumented essential workers making up 16% of the total essential workforce
- Stockton-Lodi, CA with 20,000 undocumented essential workers making up 11% of the total essential workforce
- Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater, FL with 30,000 undocumented essential workers making up 14% of the total essential workforce
Congress is currently considering including a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrant essential workers as part of the next COVID relief package. The data is crystal clear: Undocumented immigrants have played an essential role in the response to COVID-19, helping our communities survive this pandemic, and they will be vital to future economic recovery. Most undocumented immigrants on the whole have lived in the U.S. for at least 15 years, live with millions of U.S. citizen household members, and are already contributing to their communities and helping to support their families.
“Essential workers – including millions of undocumented immigrants – are key to our nation’s health and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. As Congress and the White House debate COVID recovery packages, it is critical that they include a pathway to citizenship for the more than 5 million undocumented immigrants who make up such a significant part of our essential workforce and are vital to our response and recovery,” said FWD.us President Todd Schulte. “Most of these people have called this country home for decades and have put their own health and wellbeing on the line to keep Americans healthy and our economy open. To their credit, President Biden, Majority Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi have all made it clear that a pathway to citizenship and COVID relief are top priorities. If we want to build back better we must create a pathway to citizenship for the millions of immigrants who we have already deemed ‘essential’ due to their service to this country during this pandemic.”
These findings follow a report released in December by FWD.us showing that immigrants make up nearly 1 in 5 essential workers in the United States, totaling roughly 23 million people.
Congress must act urgently to create a pathway to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants, including the more than 5 million undocumented essential workers who are fighting this pandemic alongside all Americans. Given their personal sacrifice during the pandemic, it is the least Congress and President Biden can do in helping them fight the pandemic alongside all Americans.
