>>> CALIFORNIA IS FINALLY SEEING
A DECREASE IN CORONAVIRUS CASES
AFTER BECOMING THE FIRST STATE
TO PASS 700,000, BUT THAT
OPTIMISM MAY BE SHORT LIVED.
OFFICIALS WARNING OF A POSSIBLE
THIRD WAVE THIS FALL AND THOSE
MOST AT RISK WILL BE LOW WAGE
ESSENTIAL WORKERS, STUDENTS,
UNDOCUMENTED HEALTH CARE
WORKERS, ALL UNIQUELY AT RISK.
MSNBC’S JACOB SOBOROFF IS THE
AUTHOR OF "SEPARATED, INSIDE AN
AMERICAN TRAGEDY."
HE’S BEEN TRACKING THESE NEW
CONCERNS FOR US.
TAKE US THROUGH WHY THESE GROUPS
IN PARTICULAR ARE UNIQUELY AT
RISK.
>> Reporter: YOU KNOW THIS,
CHRIS, AS WELL AS I DO FROM YOUR
TIME IN CALIFORNIA.
WE HAVE AN ENORMOUS POPULATION
OF UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS, L.A.
COUNTY, 1 MILLION UNDOCUMENTED
RESIDENTS ALONE.
WITH NO ASSISTANCE FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN RESPONSE
TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC FOR
THAT SPECIFIC GROUP, THIS GROUP
OF PEOPLE WHO IS CARING FOR
MEDICALLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE ARE
ALSO UNIQUELY VULNERABLE INSOFAR
AS THEY’RE BOTH MEDICALLY AND
FINANCIALLY VULNERABLE TO HUGE
RUIN.
WATCH THIS.
THIS CELL PHONE VIDEO WAS GIVEN
TO US BY A PILL PINOT CARETAKER
WHO SHARES AND APARTMENT WITH
SIX OTHER HEALTH CARE WORKERS,
FOUR OF HIM ARE UNDOCUMENTED.
>> YOU CAN SEE THE SHOES.
>> Reporter: THEY LIVE TOGETHER
TO SAVE MONEY.
TIGHT LIVING CONDITIONS PROVE
RISKY AND THEY LIVE IN CONSTANT
FEAR OF CONTRACTING COVID.
>> THIS IS THE BEDROOM.
>> Reporter: BOTH FROM THEIR
WORKPLACE AND AT HOME.
IN CALIFORNIA IT’S NOT UNUSUAL
FOR FRONT LINE HEALTH CARE
WORKERS TO BE UNDOCUMENTED, MANY
SERVE AS CAREGIVERS IN NURSING
HOMES, WHERE MORE THAN 40% OF
COVID DEATHS IN THE U.S. OCCUR.
WE MET THREE OF THEM AFTER THEY
FINISHED A 12-HOUR SHIFT.
>> ALL THREE UNDOCUMENTED.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
>> PHILIPPINES.
>> WHILE FILIPINOS ACCOUNT FOR
ABOUT A QUARTER OF ASEAN
RESIDENTS IN CALIFORNIA, THEY
HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH
PROPORTION OF COVID DEATHS.
ASIANS JOIN BLACK AND HISPANIC
COMMUNITIES AS SOME OF THE
HARDEST HIT FROM COVID, WITH
DEATHS FROM EACH GROUP UP 30%
THIS YEAR OVER THE PAST
FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE.
FOR THOSE UNDOCUMENTED, THERE’S
THE ADDED BURDEN OF BEING
INELIGIBLE FOR ANY FEDERAL
RELIEF DESPITE BEING LABELED
ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
>> ON TOP OF COVID, YOU HAVE
LIFE AS AN UNDOCUMENTED HEALTH
CARE WORKER.
>> THAT’S ALSO THE BIGGEST
PROBLEM BEING UNDOCUMENTED.
WE CANNOT GET THE STIMULUS, WE
CANNOT FILE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN
FOR THE NEXT MONTH.
WE MIGHT BE HOMELESS.
>> YOU SAID HOMELESS.
RIGHT OVER THERE, I’M LOOKING AT
HOMELESS PEOPLE SLEEPING IN THE
PARK BEHIND YOU IN THE TENTS.
YOU THINK THERE’S A CHANCE YOU
COULD END UP ON THE STREET?
>> YES, HONESTLY.
>> YOU’RE SAYING YOU HAVE NO
CHOICE BECAUSE YOU’RE
UNDOCUMENTED BUT TO GO BACK TO
YOUR JOBS IN A PLACE WHERE YOU
COULD VERY WELL GET COVID.
>> YES.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
>> Reporter: AKI SORIANO STARTED
THE FILIPINO WORKER CENTER.
SHE’S SEEN COVID RAVAGE HER
COMMUNITY.
>> UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS DOING
HOME CARE AND AS DOMESTIC
WORKERS ARE STILL VERY, VERY
MUCH NEEDED RIGHT NOW, SO
THEY’RE ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
>> IT’S THIS PARADOX OF BEING
BOTH UNDOCUMENTED BUT ALSO
CLEARLY ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
IT BRINGS TO WORK EVEN MORE ALL
OF THE PROBLEMS THAT
UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS ARE FACING.
>> YOU’RE SAYING THIS IS NOT IN
ISOLATION, AN UNDOCUMENTED
PROBLEM OR COVID PROBLEM, THIS
IS THE OVERLAP OF MULTIPLE
PROBLEMS AT ONCE.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
THIS CRISIS RIGHT NOW JUST SHOWS
ALL OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS.
SO GIVEN THAT, WE NEED TO MAKE
SURE THAT THESE JOBS ARE GOOD
JOBS SO THAT THEY ACTUALLY CAN
AFFORD DECENT HOUSING, SO THEY
CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD HEALTH CARE
AND TRANSPORTATION.
>> Reporter: A COUPLE THINGS,
CHRIS, OBVIOUSLY WE KEPT THEIR
IDENTITIES CONFIDENTIAL BECAUSE
OF THEIR UNIQUELY VULNERABLE
SITUATION AS UNDOCUMENTED HEALTH
CARE WORKERS.
THE FILIPINO WORKERS CENTER HAS
ALREADY LOST -- WHEN I SAY LOST,
I MEAN TO DEATH, FIVE COLLEAGUES
TO THE CORONAVIRUS.
WHAT I REALLY WANT TO UNDERLINE
IS, WHILE A VACCINE, OF COURSE,
IS THE SOLUTION ULTIMATELY TO
THE VIRUS, THE PROBLEMS THAT
THESE WORKERS FACE WILL NOT END
THERE.
THE FILIPINO WORKERS CENTER IS
VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THEY NEED,
BOTH A LIVING WAGE AND GOOD JOBS
THAT HELP THEM GET OUT OF THOSE
CRAMPED LIVING CONDITIONS AND
HOW CRITICAL THAT IS CANNOT BE
UNDERLINED ENOUGH.
BUT ALSO JUST THE SUPPORT OF A
REVAMPED IMMIGRATION SYSTEM SO
THEY CAN COME OUT OF THE SHADOWS
AND SEEK HELP, NOT BE SCARED AND
ULTIMATELY FACE A FUTURE LIKE
THEIR COLLEAGUES HAVE.
>> IT’S UNCONSCIONABLE THAT WE
HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE DOING