The more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States are being hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic as that population deals with the fears of being deported and economic hardship as a result of the outbreak.
According to a recent survey by the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights in California, undocumented immigrants and their relatives are more worried about the economic toll of the coronavirus than actually becoming infected. Among those surveyed, 95 percent were worried about paying bills while 89 percent of the population was more concerned about losing work.
Andrea Flores, the deputy director of policy for the Equality Division of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the virus is weighing on the immigrant population.
"This is preventing immigrant families from being able to support themselves and to take care of their families in terms of accessing care and buying groceries," said Flores. "They won't have access to the same safety net benefits that Congress may be putting forth for citizens."
While President Trump has said undocumented immigrants should be able to get tested without the threat of being arrested or deported, many immigrants are still living in fear of ICE. Currently, the ACLU's position is that ICE enforcement that could deter people from seeking care should be suspended . The ACLU agrees that the last thing ICE should be doing during a 'stay at home' order is making immigrants feel scared to access healthcare or be afraid to go to the grocery store.
"Immigration status doesn't matter at a time like this," said Flores. "This public health crisis impacts everybody and it's important for your neighbors to be tested."
Bioscience and genetic engineering company, Colossal, raised $60 million in a Series A funding round. Colossal is focused on developing new technologies and genetic tools to restore extinct species, and protect critically endangered species. One of the startup's long-term goals is to resurrect the woolly mammoth, and return it back to the arctic. Colossal also says it is developing technology that expands beyond animals, and has the potential to advance human health. Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
After a two-year hiatus, the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan made its triumphant return. More than 150,000 people turned up to celebrate the day even through bad weather.
Jordan Mauriello, CEO of MoreYellow, talks about the evolving landscape of female gamers and why brands see Influencers as more valuable than their male counterparts.
Apple's Racial Equity and Justice Initiative is a $100 million program aimed at combating systemic racism while working to advance racial equity across the country. Alisha Johnson, director of the initiative, joined Cheddar at SXSW to discuss the work being done. "We focused on three critical areas. The first is education. The second is criminal justice reform, and the third is economic empowerment, really looking first in our own supply chain, how can we really increase our spend with Latinx, Hispanic, and indigenous-owned businesses," she said. "And then how can we go further to empower entrepreneurs who have been cut out of access to funding and capital and really help them to get the funding."
What you Need to Know on Thursday, March 17. Updates from Ukraine, President Biden refers to Putin as a ‘war criminal’ for the first time, Walmart has ambitious hiring targets for Q1, and Netflix takes steps to crack down on password sharing.
Residents were cleaning their homes Thursday after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, smashing furniture, knocking out power and killing four people.
Biden calls Putin a "war criminal," HBCUs are getting grant money for security after dozens of bomb threats, and Cannes may hate red-carpet selfies, but this year they're partnering with TikTok. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Thursday, March 17, 2022.
A Peacock streaming show about a '90s one-hit-wonder girl group getting another chance at musical success, "Girls5Eva" drops its second season on the platform on May 5. Cheddar's Michelle Castillo sat down with creator Meredith Scardino and actor Paula Pell from South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, to talk about what fans can expect from the series in Season 2. "They're going to create their first studio album, which is really exciting," Scardino said. "So we're going to follow that journey as they as they get back in the studio."
Cheddar News senior reporter Michelle Castillo was joined by the cast of 'Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls' during South by Southwest 2022. They talk all about the new series, which premieres March 25 on Prime Video.
