Page 18 - Delaware Lawyer - Winter 2021

FEATURE
As a community, we must take a stand to ensure
that the immigrant population in Delaware receives
the same access to health care, educational resources, court proceedings, housing and more.
ment rates in the immigrant commu- nity, this could lead to homelessness, eviction, and families sharing housing. Some live in crowded conditions that make it almost impossible to follow prevention strategies recommended by the state and federal government. In many cultures, it is not uncommon for family members of multiple gen- erations to share one household. This culture amplifies the potential threat of these individuals contracting the virus.
“The economic situation was dif- ficult,” an immigrant in Delaware told me. “My husband was without a job and I was dealing with my inju- ries from an accident, which made our day-to-day lives very difficult. Morally, I was down. My family was able to re- ceive the stimulus check, which helped some, in terms of expenses, but it was gone very quickly and there doesn’t seem to be additional help on the way.”
As a community, we must take a stand to ensure that the immigrant population in Delaware receives the same access to health care, educational resources, court proceedings, hous- ing and more. During this time, more than ever, it is imperative that we be kind to each other and treat everyone as our equal. We are all human and no one deserves to be forgotten.
NOTES
1. American Immigration Council, Fact Sheet, Immigrants in Delaware, August 2020.
2. www.newamericaneconomy.org/ locations
3. Price-Haygood E.G., Burton J, Fort D, Seoane, L. Hospitalization and Mortality Among Black Patients and White Patients with COVID-19, N. ENGL. J. MED. 2020.
4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor Force Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity, 2019.
5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor Force Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity, 2019.
6. www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/ document/data/approximateactive dacarecipients
Thanksgiving. All parties appeared and were ready to commence the legal action, yet both parties required an interpreter. For about 20 minutes, the court attempted feverishly to locate an interpreter, but they were unsuccess- ful. The hearing was delayed for two weeks in order to accommodate both parties, and the interim PFA against my client was extended through the rescheduled hearing date. Two weeks later, the court conducted the hearing and the PFA against my client was dis- missed. Yet, my client was subject to an interim PFA for two additional weeks as a result of the court being unable to locate an appropriate interpreter to handle the initial hearing despite their best efforts to adjust to the new pro- cesses implemented due to the COV- ID-19 pandemic.
Immigrants in Delaware are also overrepresented in essential work set- tings, such as health care facilities and social assistance, farms, factories, food services and labor.4 Immigrants who work in these settings are more likely to be exposed to the coronavirus due to several factors, such as working in en- vironments that require close contact with the public and/or other workers, no option to work from home, no sick leave benefits, and/or lack of transpor- tation to attend doctor’s appointments.
As the educational level of immi- grants in Delaware varies, there are many groups that have not completed high school and have barriers to higher education. As a result, they are forced to work manual labor jobs to make ends meet, which correlates with lower-
paying and less stable employment. Some individuals with limited job op- portunities have less flexibility to leave jobs where they are at a higher risk of exposure to COVID-19.5 Some who are part of the immigrant community may have jobs where they cannot afford to miss a day’s pay, even when they be- come sick, as they likely will not have sufficient savings available to provide for necessities such as housing, food, and other essential living expenses. Studies have shown that most of the immigrant population does not have a rainy day fund to cover expenses for a few months in case of an emergency.
Difficulty of Accessing Benefits, Housing
In addition, Delaware is home to over a thousand Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) re- cipients. Specifically, in a 2018 study, there were over 1,532 active DACA recipients identified. With COVID-19 leading to many layoffs and business closures, this population is also be- ing affected. DACA recipients are not eligible for unemployment benefits through our government and, as a re- sult, if their job shuts down due to the pandemic, or they are otherwise laid off, they are not eligible to receive un- employment benefits that others may receive, even though they pay federal and state taxes.6
Housing has also been a common struggle for many in the immigrant community even before the pandemic. COVID-19 is only increasing the chal- lenges they face. With the loss of jobs and the disproportionate unemploy-
16 DELAWARE LAWYER WINTER 2021