In southwestern Colorado, immigrants face a dual crisis

A global pandemic, and no social safety net leave immigrant and mixed-status families fending for themselves.

 

In recent months — in the midst of the nation’s worst economic crisis since 1929 — the Trump administration restricted immigrants’ access to public assistance, including the coronavirus relief package. As a result, immigrants and their families are living through a global pandemic with limited access to basic necessities. 

15.4 million people were excluded   from the federal government's first rescue package.

Despite the fact that undocumented immigrants and their families often pay taxes, 15.4 million people were excluded from the federal government's first rescue package. In Colorado, this decision affected some 236,000 families, including 95,000 U.S. citizens who were denied checks because of their relationship with undocumented immigrants, whether as children, spouses or other close relatives. 

As a volunteer for Compañeros: The Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center, a nonprofit in Durango, Colorado, I see the economic toll these policies take on immigrants and their families every day. The majority of these families, many of whom are Latino, are ineligible to receive any public assistance because of the government’s “public charge rule.”

Although such rules are longstanding, the most recent versions restrict the path to legal status for immigrants who have used basic public assistance programs, including the food stamp program, or SNAP, Medicaid and unemployment — crucial safety nets, especially during a pandemic. The people I’ve met, most of whom had been employed in restaurants, hotels and other areas of our community’s service sector, suddenly found themselves without jobs. And they still have no idea whether or not they’ll have work waiting for them on the other side of this crisis. 

Brenda, Luis' wife, and Beatriz Garcia, the program manager of Compañeros make a food delivery. The organization has been redirecting their funding to assist families hit hard by job loss due to COVID-19.
Ben Waddell/High Country News

I've witnessed the devastating impact this has had on migrants and their U.S. citizen children and spouses, simply because they are not eligible for these government programs. Take Luis, whose name has been changed to protect his privacy, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who has lived in La Plata County, Colorado, for several years. In early May, I dropped off a box of food at his home. I’d first met him several months earlier and gotten to know his wife and young daughter. Back then, in February, they were awaiting the birth of their second child; Luis had steady employment, and his family was considering moving into a better apartment. Since then, life has taken an unexpectedly dark turn. Luis’ work hours have been drastically cut and, despite paying taxes for years under an individual taxpayer identification number, his family is ineligible for public assistance, including unemployment and coronavirus assistance money. Luis, who could no longer make rent payments, had to move his family into an abandoned trailer with broken windows and no appliances. He’s managed to keep a surprisingly positive outlook, but admits that every day is a struggle. “I don’t know what we’ll do if I lose the rest of my hours,” he told me on a rainy Sunday afternoon as I helped him hang a new window in what is now his home.

Luis and his family are not alone: Latino families throughout the U.S. are being forced into subhuman living conditions. Across the board, minorities have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. In New York City, for example, the first epicenter of the virus in the U.S., COVID-19 is killing people of color at much higher rates than white people. COVID-19’s mortality rate within Black and Latino communities in New York City is 84 people per every 100,000 residents, compared to 35 per 100,000 for the general population. Last month, the Navajo Nation’s COVID-19 infection rate surpassed those of both New York and New Jersey, previously the U.S. epicenters. 

In a matter of weeks, COVID-19 brought the United States economy to a halt and in the process disrupted millions of lives. In just over two months, unemployment rates have gone from a near-historic low of 3.6% to a modern high of 14.7%. The Latino community has been particularly hard-hit, registering an unemployment rate of 19% — the highest in the nation — even as it’s excluded from public safety nets. Latino immigrants and their families now represent one of the most vulnerable communities in the country. 

These numbers give some context to the silent humanitarian crisis we are dealing with here in Durango, Colorado. At the same time, they shed light on the Trump administration’s systematic efforts to force immigrants out of the United States by restricting their access to basic necessities.  

In order to change this, concerned citizens will have to elect officials with stronger moral compasses. Our local and federal governments need to work harder to provide equity for brown and Black communities across the West and the country, so that people like Luis and his family can weather this economic and public health crisis. If a more progressive world awaits us on the other side of this crisis, we must demand change now.

Benjamin Waddell is a writer and an associate professor of sociology at Fort Lewis College based in Durango, Colorado. Email High Country News at [email protected] or submit a letter to the editor.

High Country News Classifieds
  • ESCAPE THE CROWDS AND EMBRACE NATURE: AFFORDABLE RETREAT, JUST AN HOUR FROM GLACIER NATIONAL PARK AND BOB MARSHALL WILDERNESS!
    Welcome to your new tranquil oasis in Montana. This beautiful 2-bedroom home FSBO is just an hour's drive to the east entrance of Glacier National...
  • DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
    Areas of Responsibility: The Development Director collaborates with the Executive Director, other HEAL Utah staff, board, and supporters to continue building one of Utah's most...
  • DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
    Position Summary Western Resource Advocates (WRA) is hiring an organized and creative Digital Engagement Specialist to join our Marketing and Communications Team. The Digital Engagement...
  • 92 ACRE EASTERN WASHINGTON GEM
    Welcome to Lost Creek Sanctuary... a true hidden gem in the heart of the Palouse. 1900 square feet, the main house is warm and charming,...
  • WEEKLY NEWSPAPER FOR SALE
    Vibrant, financially successful 1,100 print run, community-focused subscription newspaper in beautiful Pacific Northwest Washington seeks owner/s. It is time to retire. Now, your Norman Rockwell-like...
  • STAFF ATTORNEY - WILDLANDS AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM
    Job Opening Announcement: Wildlands and Wildlife Program Staff Attorney Reports to: Wildlands and Wildlife Program Director Location: Pacific Northwest, ideally in Eugene, Oregon, Portland, Oregon,...
  • HEAD OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    The Head of Project Management will oversee our project execution to ensure that we are providing our partners around the world with the field data...
  • LEGAL DIRECTOR
    Trustees for Alaska is the only nonprofit environmental law firm founded and based in Alaska. We are seeking a Legal Director, full-time based in Anchorage....
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    The Fund for People in Parks seeks leader to identify, develop, fund, and facilitate high-impact projects in western National Parks. Remote position with some travel....
  • GRASSROOTS REGIONAL COORDINATOR
    Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a women-led national grassroots organization that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. The...
  • GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY MANAGER
    Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a women-led national grassroots organization that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. Position...
  • GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP DIRECTOR
    The Grassroots Leadership (Director) oversees the training, guidance, and support of volunteer Broadband Leaders. (Broadbands are women-led grassroots chapters, with 40+ across the country.) They...
  • FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANT NEEDED
    We would like to invite you to participate in a 60-minute focus group to help us enhance the New Mexico Courts website (https://www.inside.nmcourts.gov/). Our aim...
  • GILA GRASSROOTS ORGANIZER
    New Mexico Wild is seeking a Gila Grassroots Organizer who is passionate about public lands and community engagement. The Gila Grassroots Organizer will take a...
  • 20/40 ACRES IN ARIZONA WINE COUNTRY
    Chiricahua riparian ecosystem: 5100 ft elevation:18+ inches of rain/year: 1/4 mile creek through property: The Chiricahuas' have been called: "The most biologically diverse place in...
  • SMALL CABIN WITH 260 ACRES
    Adorable quaint cabin on the Arizona Strip, on the foothills of the Kaibab Plateau with 260 acres bordering BLM lands on two sides of the...
  • STAFF ATTORNEY
    Food & Water Watch works to create a healthy future for all people and generations to come—a world where everyone has food they can trust,...
  • LUNATEC HYDRATION SPRAY BOTTLE
    A must for campers and outdoor enthusiasts. Cools, cleans and hydrates with mist, stream and shower patterns. Hundreds of uses.
  • LUNATEC ODOR-FREE DISHCLOTHS
    are a must try. They stay odor-free, dry fast, are durable and don't require machine washing. Try today.
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    The Civil Conversations Project, a 501c3 organization working to end racism in America is seeking an experienced and passionate part-time Executive Director. For full job...