A new survey conducted by leading polling firm Latino Decisions on behalf of advocacy groups SOMOS, UnidosUS, and MoveOn found that one-fourth of Latinos know someone who has become sick with COVID-19, and of that group, one-third say they know someone who has died from the virus. “More disconcerting is the fact that a startling high percentage of Latinos—27%—report that they know someone who wants a test, but has been unable to get tested,” the firm said.
Latino workers have been vocal about being among the first to be impacted by economic loss amid the novel coronavirus pandemic; the survey continues to show the human costs devastating this community as well. “This poll confirms what we know in Nevada,” U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said in a release. “Our Latino communities are getting hit hard by the twin public health and economic crises of coronavirus.”
Latino Decisions additionally found that respondents were extremely critical of the Trump administration excluding undocumented workers and mixed-status immigrant families from federal pandemic relief, and expressed massive support for continuing to protect immigrants whose status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs have been under threat by the administration.
“When asked about specific provisions in the HEROES Act, there is overwhelming support for the full inclusion of all immigrants in receiving financial support,” Latino Decisions found. “85% say any undocumented immigrant who paid federal taxes should qualify; 86% say US born citizen children should qualify regardless of parents’ status; 85% support undocumented immigrants classified as essential workers being fully included in relief support; 87% say Congress should take this opportunity to reauthorize legal work permits for immigrants who had TPS or DACA.”
While the newest relief package takes significant steps to address many of the concerns of Latino and immigrant communities, Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have blasted the relief as a "totally unserious effort.”
Latino respondents were also extremely critical of the impeached president’s pandemic response—or lack thereof. “Moreover, 67% of Latinos say Trump ignored early warnings and his delays are the reason so many Americans died,” Latino Decisions found. The firm also found that even though they continue to face economic devastation due to lost work, the vast majority of Latinos supported continued shelter-in-place policies.
“When asked about continued quarantine versus re-opening states, more than three quarters (76%) of Latinos continue to support stay-at-home orders, despite the pervasive health and economic woes,” the firm said. “Fully 81% say governors should re-open their states slowly, based on the advice of health experts, rather than rush to reopen.” And supported continued sheltering policies as the survey also found that “50% of households are still having difficulty buying or finding necessities such as food, household supplies, or medicine.”
Rep. Joaquin Castro said in the release that “the data confirms what we see in our communities” and only adds to the urgency of passing the House’s latest relief package into law as soon as possible. “The Heroes Act is a major step in the right direction to ensure all hard-working, tax-paying families receive economic relief—now we need urgent action by the U.S. Senate,” he said. “We must respond to this health and economic crisis as one American family and together we will recover.”