Resiliency is a Privilege: Senator Warren on Undocumented Immigrants and COVID-19
KATIE COOPER: Forming a line which stretched across campus, Georgetown students turned out in droves on November 30th to hear Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speak to students alongside GU Politics fellow and former Warren for President Senior Advisor Rebecca Pearcey. In a conversation titled “Leveling the Playing Field”. Senator Warren touched on a variety of topics ranging from bipartisan cooperation in Congress to her proposed wealth tax. However, her answer to a student question on how to protect vulnerable immigrant populations that suffered and continue to suffer due to the COVID-19 pandemic was extremely poignant.
The student originally asked Senator Warren how we can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic to protect immigrants that may not be citizens. After all, in a crisis, the needs and abilities of vulnerable populations must be recognized and prioritized, and immigrants that are not legal citizens are in greater danger during the pandemic. Warren first emphasized that the biggest lesson to take away from the COVID-19 pandemic is the fact that it is in our self interest to help others. Ensuring that everyone has access to public health information, tests, and vaccines increases the likelihood that you will not get sick. Thus, helping others during a pandemic will indirectly protect yourself.
But, access to testing, a crucial factor in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, was not equally accessible to all populations, especially at the beginning of the pandemic. Senator Warren recounted a conversation with Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) in March of 2020, where Representative Pressley originally expressed concerns that communities of color would not have access to testing, while professional sports teams got tested daily. As the CDC was not recording race in COVID testing, Warren and Pressley accurately predicted that it was impossible to determine whether marginalized populations were disproportionately affected by the pandemic due to a lack of data. Thus, collecting accurate data with regards to marginalized communities must be a priority in future crises.
Warren went on to explain that the ability to respond to a crisis depends on resiliency. Some populations have the ability and the privilege to be more resilient than others. Citizenship, savings accounts, housing security, food security, and the ability to work from home are all privileges that allow one to be more resilient in a crisis. Immigrants are more likely to lack these privileges, thus it is important to understand that a public health crisis won’t affect everyone equally. The data backs her claims. For example, many people were laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. In New York City, 1 in 6 undocumented workers lost their job due to the pandemic. When undocumented immigrants lose their jobs, they are not eligible for unemployment benefits. This exclusion from social safety nets due to their lack of citizenship is extremely detrimental to their livelihoods. Those that did not lose their jobs often work in industries deemed “essential”, putting them at risk of contracting COVID-19 at work and then spreading it to their families and their communities. Undocumented immigrants may also be apprehensive to seek medical care out of fear of deportation. This fear of receiving medical care may translate to medically preventable deaths.
Going forward, we must prioritize creating a more equitable society to ensure that vulnerable populations have the opportunities to access these privileges. Senator Warren emphasized that the pandemic exposed and exacerbated existing issues and inequalities in our society, thus it is our responsibility going forward to create a more equitable world. As the title of the event recognizes, “leveling the playing field” is the only way to ensure that all groups have the ability to be resilient in responding to future crises.
Senator Warren commanded an effective campaign during the 2020 Democratic Presidential primary. With an emphasis resolving economic issues in her campaign, her campaign successfully solicited grassroots donations without relying on expensive fundraisers. That prowess shined –– overall, Senator Warren effectively answered questions and commanded the attention of a room.
Senior Edward Wu, the chair of Pearcey’s student strategy team, incorrectly addressed her as President Warren in his introduction. Yet, given her policy proposals and political savvy, this faux pas could prove to be foreshadowing.
Katie Cooper is the current Co-Social Media Director for On The Record. A sophomore in the School of Foreign Service majoring in International Political Economy with a double minor in International Development and Spanish, she is from Leawood, Kansas.