Coronavirus May Reshuffle the Cards for Immigration Reform
The effects of the pandemic sweeping across the United States, both in lives lost and livelihoods threatened, are grave and sobering. The long-term repercussions for specific sectors of the economy and for society as a whole are hard to predict. What is likely is that public policy, including immigration policy, will change in the process.
How does immigration fit into this new reality? On the one hand, we know that immigrants are on the front lines of the “war” that the President has declared, serving in disproportionate numbers as researchers, doctors, nurses, health care aides, agricultural and food service workers, and many other essential occupations. In short, immigrant talent and labor are working to heal the sick and to keep the rest of us healthy.
On the other hand, surging numbers of unemployed suggest that the job market may be fundamentally altered as a result of the crisis, and fears of contagion from abroad are forcing governments to close off channels of migration all over the world. We hope that the articles and studies featured in this issue of our newsletter will help to illuminate both our present situation and the future we will create for our society.