Within weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak, my parents — both undocumented workers in Los Angeles’ garment industry — lost their jobs. For weeks I was the only gainfully employed member of my family. The income from my internship in Washington, D.C., had to support me, my unemployed parents and my younger sister who’s in college. I’m 22.
While millions of American citizens have become financially insecure because of the coronavirus outbreak, many are eligible for paid sick leave or unemployment benefits and have access to COVID-19 testing. This is not the case for many immigrants in the U.S. illegally who, like my parents, are low-wage workers and ineligible for public benefits because of their immigration status.
The above excerpt was originally published in Los Angeles Times.
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