Exclusion and inequality: The social and legal implications of immigrant labor in the U.S.
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Thomas Loikith
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 10:30 AM
End Date
25-4-2025 11:29 AM
Description
In the United States, denying employment benefits to undocumented workers is a major legal and social problem. Many undocumented immigrants are denied access to benefits such as unemployment insurance, federal health insurance, and other federally funded benefits including Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP. Financial hardship, social inequities, limited economic mobility, and increased healthcare risks are all challenges facing immigrant families resulting from the denial of benefits. Nonetheless, undocumented workers contribute significantly to the American economy by, among other ways, expanding the labor force, increasing consumer spending, and contributing to tax revenue. This is an inherently unfair situation that clearly affects society as a whole. What can and should be done to resolve this problem? This is a complex problem requiring interdisciplinary research in order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding. Using qualitative research methodology, specifically textual analysis, I reviewed and analyzed relevant sources from the disciplines of law and sociology. I sought common ground between conflicting insights from each discipline, and through integration, I was able to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the research problem. That facilitated my proposing suggested resolutions of the problem. I have not completed my research as yet. However, I conclude that federal legislation should be reformed to ensure that undocumented workers are eligible to receive all employment benefits available to citizens and documented immigrants. Separate from or in addition to legislative action, courts should hold that denial of benefits to undocumented workers denies them the equal protection of the law guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.
Exclusion and inequality: The social and legal implications of immigrant labor in the U.S.
In the United States, denying employment benefits to undocumented workers is a major legal and social problem. Many undocumented immigrants are denied access to benefits such as unemployment insurance, federal health insurance, and other federally funded benefits including Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP. Financial hardship, social inequities, limited economic mobility, and increased healthcare risks are all challenges facing immigrant families resulting from the denial of benefits. Nonetheless, undocumented workers contribute significantly to the American economy by, among other ways, expanding the labor force, increasing consumer spending, and contributing to tax revenue. This is an inherently unfair situation that clearly affects society as a whole. What can and should be done to resolve this problem? This is a complex problem requiring interdisciplinary research in order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding. Using qualitative research methodology, specifically textual analysis, I reviewed and analyzed relevant sources from the disciplines of law and sociology. I sought common ground between conflicting insights from each discipline, and through integration, I was able to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the research problem. That facilitated my proposing suggested resolutions of the problem. I have not completed my research as yet. However, I conclude that federal legislation should be reformed to ensure that undocumented workers are eligible to receive all employment benefits available to citizens and documented immigrants. Separate from or in addition to legislative action, courts should hold that denial of benefits to undocumented workers denies them the equal protection of the law guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.