Photo: Spencer Platt / Getty Images
For: EFE Updated 31 Jan 2022, 18: 12 pm EST
A study conducted in New York reveals that undocumented immigrants’ fear of family separation, detention and deportation, which worsened under the Republican administration of President Donald Trump , still persists despite the change in government, and affects their access to benefits and services
The report “Immigrants’ Use of New York City Programs, Services, and Benefits: Examining the Impact of Fear and other barriers” of the Center for Migration Studies (CMS), determined that, although this is a “friendly” city for immigrants and invests resources in them, it needs to break down barriers that they encounter.
“Although government agencies, hospitals and community organizations have taken steps to minimize gaps in service delivery and mitigate fear of immigrants, more can and should be done”, affirms the study released today..
The New York-based CMS examined fear and other barriers to the use of public benefits such as health, as well as access to law enforcement and the courts , through interviews in eight languages with immigrants from up to 18 countries between January of 2020 and October of 2022.
Under the “public charge rule” that went into effect on 24 February 2020, -which is no longer in effect but there is still confusion- legal permanent residence (“green card”) could be denied to immigrants who had received or received public benefits.
And although the government of Joe Biden brought recognition of the essential work of immigrants is in response to COVID-18 and admitted the disproportionate impact of the pandemic in this community, this was not enough to eliminate fear and other barriers such as language, discrimination or misinformation to request or use benefits for themselves and their families.
One of the most recurring fears that explains their misgivings when going to the hospital is the presence of agents from the Immigration Service and Customs Control (ICE) that could stop them.
“Several hospital workers said undocumented immigrants often let their ailments go untreated for fear of their immigration status and, as a result, their illnesses become emergencies,” the study warns.
It also highlights that fears about their legal status, influenced by federal immigration policies, probably inhibited efforts to respond to and control the COVID pandemic.
Language continues to be the main barrier to access to benefits despite the efforts of the City of New York to provide translation services, and this explains, for example, that they often prefer not to report crimes committed against them or that they witnessed.
Among the report’s recommendations is that public agencies continue to work with community organizations, religious institutions, schools and other entities that immigrants trust to distribute information about benefits and services.
“No one in our cities should be afraid of getting the help they need. needs, especially now that we report on the recovery from the COVID pandemic”, said the new director of the New York Office of Immigrant Affairs”, Manuel Castr o.
In a virtual forum to present the study, he recalled that he grew up undocumented in this city, ran an NGO for services to immigrants and promised continue to work with the various groups and agencies to “ensure Yorkers are empowered to seek the care they need without fear”
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