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Undocumented Immigrant Essential Workers
5 Things to Know

UPDATE 11/7/24: The federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency formally ended on May 11, 2023. While some portions of this report are specific to pandemic response, the findings on the roles played by immigrants in the U.S. essential workforce remain relevant today. We have preserved the report in its entirety below.

Essential workers who are undocumented are playing a crucial part in America’s COVID-19 recovery. Despite their personal sacrifice and service, essential workers who are undocumented have been largely excluded from COVID-19 relief, and most important, continue to live every day with fear and uncertainty about their future in the U.S.

Here’s five things to know about undocumented immigrants who are essential workers:

1 | More than 5 million essential workers are undocumented immigrants

According to FWD.us estimates, 5.2 million undocumented immigrants, including Dreamers who came to the U.S. as children, work in essential industries. Essential workers who are undocumented make up nearly 1 in 20 of American essential workers, with millions working in construction, food services and production (including agriculture), transportation, healthcare, and other essential industries.

At least 11% of U.S. agricultural essential workers are undocumented immigrants. Similarly, 9% of those working in housing and facility industries are undocumented immigrants, as are 6% of those in food services and production, and 4% in transportation essential industries.

This means, for example, that some 400,000 agricultural workers; 400,000 cleaning staff; 300,000 packers, stockers, and shippers of essential goods; and 100,000 home health and personal care aides are essential workers who are undocumented. These workers are helping to maintain essential infrastructure to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and assist America’s economic recovery.

“...President Biden and Congress should include protections and a pathway to citizenship for essential workers who are undocumented in future COVID-19 legislation.”

2 | More than two-thirds of workers who are undocumented are frontline essential workers

FWD.us analysis shows that 69% of workers who are undocumented, more than two-thirds, are frontline essential workers, meaning they work in essential industries and cannot perform their jobs from home.

This rate is much higher than among immigrant workers overall (55%) and higher still than among U.S.-born workers (48%).

In part because of their frontline worker status, undocumented immigrants, like immigrants as a whole, have been at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Essential workers on the front lines of the pandemic face an increased probability of exposure, as social distancing is not always possible and personal protective equipment may not always be available. Moreover, healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and Medicare are not available to workers who are undocumented, and the majority of undocumented immigrants do not receive healthcare coverage from their employers.

3 | Nearly one million essential workers who are undocumented are Dreamers who came to the U.S. as young children

An estimated 260,000 Dreamers provide essential work in housing-related industries such as facilities and construction. About the same number work in food services and production, and an additional 110,000 work in health industries. About 90,000 Dreamers work in essential transportation sectors, and a further 50,000 work in education.

Nearly half (49%) of the total Dreamer population work in essential industries. This share rises to two-thirds (67%) when excluding Dreamer students.

4 | Essential workers who are undocumented are employed in every state across the country

Essential workers who are undocumented work in every state and the District of Columbia. Estimates show that 12 states are home to more than 100,000 essential workers who are undocumented, while 40 states have at least 10,000 essential workers who are undocumented.


Note: Estimates rounded to the nearest 10,000. Undocumented immigrants consist of Dreamers, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders, asylum seekers waiting on a decision, those waiting on an adjustment or change of status, and other undocumented immigrants. Essential workers are based on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's August 2020 memorandum on America's essential workforce. Estimates are limited to those in the labor force.


Note: Estimates rounded to the nearest 10,000. MSA's with 10,000 or more undocumented immigrant essential workers listed. Undocumented immigrants consist of Dreamers, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders, asylum seekers waiting on a decision, those waiting on an adjustment or change of status, and other undocumented immigrants. Essential workers are based on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's August 2020 memorandum on America's essential workforce. Estimates are limited to those in the labor force.

“About...(65%) of national likely voters support a pathway to citizenship in upcoming COVID-19 legislation for Dreamers who are frontline workers.”

California (1 million), Texas (930,000), and Florida (390,000) have the highest number of essential workers who are undocumented. Undocumented immigrants make up some of the highest shares of essential workforces in Texas (8%), Nevada (8%), and California (7%).

About half a million essential workers who are undocumented immigrants live in the New York City area while some 420,000 live in Los Angeles. In several cities, such as Orlando (FL), Tampa (FL), Memphis (TN), Modesto (CA), Columbus (OH) and Stockton (CA), more than 10% of its essential workforce are undocumented immigrants. Meanwhile, about 10% of essential workers in Houston (TX), Chicago (IL), New Orleans (LA) are also undocumented immigrants.

5 | Most essential workers who are undocumented have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade, live with U.S. citizen household members, and are financially stable

Undocumented immigrants who are essential workers are well established in U.S. communities, with most (71%) living in the U.S. for ten years or longer. The majority (67%) live with at least one U.S. citizen household member. In fact, FWD.us estimates show that some 7 million U.S. citizens, including 4 million minor U.S. citizen children, live with undocumented immigrants who are essential workers.

These characteristics of undocumented immigrants who are essential workers are fairly consistent across each state and metropolitan area, as indicated by the table below.

Nearly 4 in 10 (40%) families of undocumented immigrants who are essential workers own their own home. Meanwhile, most (60%) undocumented immigrants who are essential workers say they speak English well, very well, or speak only English.

These characteristics of undocumented immigrants who are essential workers are fairly consistent across each state, as indicated by the table below.


Note: N/A refers to states with no characteristics available due to small number of undocumented immigrants who are essential workers. "Speaks English" refers to a self-description of English ability and includes those stating they speak English well or very well or speak only English. Undocumented immigrants consist of Dreamers, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders, asylum seekers waiting on a decision, those waiting on an adjustment or change of status, and other undocumented immigrants. Essential workers are based on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's August 2020 memorandum on America's essential workforce. Estimates are limited to those in the labor force.

Note: Limited to MSA's with an estimated 10,000 or more undocumented immigrant essential workers. "Speaks English" refers to a self-description of English ability and includes those stating they speak English well or very well or speak only English. Undocumented immigrants consist of Dreamers, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recepients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders, asylum seekers waiting on a decision, those waiting on an adjustment or change of status, and other undocumented immigrants. Essential workers are based on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's August 2020 memorandum on America's essential workforce. Estimates are limited to those in the labor force.

Phillip Connor

Senior Demographer

phillip@fwd.us

Notes

For more information on essential workers who are immigrants, see our report.

For more information on the methodology for the estimates, see our methodology.

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