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About half of the 2.4 million farmworkers in the US don’t have legal status, yet they’re risking contracting #COVID19 to supply the nation’s food.
About half of the 2.4 million farmworkers in the US don’t have legal status, yet they’re risking contracting #COVID19 to supply the nation’s food.
These farmworkers plow, pick, and harvest the country's fields, often for long hours and low wages.
"We're treated as essential workers right now because if we don't do this kind of work, the United States is not going to have food in supermarkets, food to feed the nation," said Mily Treviño-Sauceda, cofounder of a farmworkers advocacy group. https://www.businessinsider.com/farmworkers-usa-immigrants-legal-status-coronavirus-pandemic-covid-2020-9
Farmworker advocates have expressed concern that a lack of education could leave workers susceptible to a major outbreak, wreaking havoc on immigrant communities in the US, and disrupting food supply chains.
The undocumented farmworkers are ineligible for health insurance programs like Medicaid, which would cover the costs of treatments if they were to contract COVID-19.
Democrats have proposed “blue cards” for agricultural workers, which would provide the immigrants with a pathway to permanent, legal status in the US.
Farmworkers are being honored at this year's Hispanic Heritage Awards as the pandemic continues to draw attention to the nation's food sources.
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