Are immigrants living in the U.S. illegally at greater risk from the coronavirus?
Immigrants living in the U.S. illegally are at greater risk of exposure to the coronavirus than the general population, largely due to social and economic determinants.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, most of the 11.3 million without legal status hold "essential" jobs in construction, lodging and food services, management services or manufacturing. The group notes that non-citizens face restricted access to government relief programs, making in-person work more difficult to forego.
Family members living in close proximity are also at greater risk of exposure to the virus. A 2018 Pew Research analysis shows most immigrants lacking legal permission to be in the U.S. live with members of their family. PolicyMap data identifies a correlation between regions where more than 10% of households are intergenerational and regions with higher severe COVID-19 risk.