Immigration, COVID-19, and the U.S. Economy

Free Zoom Webinar

Speaker: Alfredo Corchado

In a world ravaged by a global pandemic, stay at home orders, quarantine, and social distancing practices are the new normal. Human movement around the globe has come to an almost screeching halt. However, while national governments threaten the complete suspension of migration, preventing people from moving across borders is not as obvious of a solution as it may seem, nor as beneficial.

As Covid-19 continues to spread across the world, with cases continuing to rise, supply chains around the globe are beginning to take a hit. Most notably the food supply chain is beginning to strain. The meatpacking industry, unable to accommodate proper social distancing protocol, is experiencing a severe hit to their workforce. Farmers and agricultural businesses are taking to the fields after the winter season and need an abundance of able-bodied workers. But who typically fills these roles? Well according to the Department of Agriculture about half the country’s field hands, more than a million workers, are undocumented immigrants.

With administrations pushing for decreased migration across borders and the food industry pushing for more workers, where does that leave the undocumented immigrant? Join us on June 25th with Mexican border correspondent and author, Alfredo Corchado to take a deeper look at this issue, the impact on our food supply, and what it actually means to be an essential worker.