Gov. Newsom’s budget plan abandons undocumented immigrants in middle of a pandemic

The impact of COVID-19 on people across the world has devastated not only my physical health but also the stability of my employment. Yet essential workers have had to continue to risk their lives to do their jobs while others are able to shelter in place and work from home.

Oftentimes, those essential workers, like me, are immigrants without status who do not have critical access to social safety-net programs implemented by the federal government and state governments like ours in California.

My name is Emma. I am an in-home health care aid, a parent, and an advocate for health justice and workers’ rights. I care for my elderly clients like my own family when often their real families and relatives have left them behind.

I came to Los Angeles 14 years ago as a small business owner from the Philippines in search of economic opportunity to support my family. I knew it would be challenging, but I also knew this was the only way to support my children, whom I had left behind in hopes of helping them survive.

I work hard to meet the needs of all of my patients, whether during the early morning hours or afternoon conversations. But my patients also have medical insurance and access to doctors. I do not.

Because I am an undocumented immigrant, I do not have insurance nor access to unemployment benefits if I lose my job. I am not ashamed of my status, but it is ironic that I, as a healthcare professional, cannot access the benefits and care I provide as part of my job. Particularly in light of the current pandemic, this feels exceptionally cruel to be deemed essential to work but not essential to live.

One in 10 Californians is undocumented, and half of the state’s children have at least one immigrant parent. While California and the Trump administration are coming up with ways to support workers, they have forgotten those of us without status.

Programs like Health4All Seniors and the California Earned Income Tax Credit, along with the federal stimulus checks, do not include communities who are already at-risk. I, too, am battling fears of COVID-19. I, too, am worried about my health, job, and safety. I, too, deserve access to health care and economic support.

The May budget revise put forward by Gov. Gavin Newsom completely neglects people like me and others in our community who now do not have the support of our government. The government is willing to give me an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, willing to use this money for their economic support, but not willing to expand CalEITC to include immigrants without status during this time when we cannot work and have nothing.

Health4All Seniors, once a pillar of Newsom’s social platform, has now been completely cut with no funding to provide seniors with crucial access to healthcare and medical assistance – during a viral pandemic, no less.

Federal and state financial assistance and social safety-net programs need to include everyone, especially the most vulnerable in our communities. My story is just one of the many stories of immigrants without status who continue to work on the front lines against the virus but have no support from the governments we’re helping to keep functioning. This moment of chaos and fear is not a time for our elected officials to turn their backs on people like me.

This story was originally published June 6, 2020 at 6:00 AM.