Source: The Hill

When the COVID-19 pandemic first swept through the U.S., the public learned of a new labor category: essential workers. These are people who work in low-wage high visibility positions in health care facilities, educational institutions, food production facilities, even grocery stores.

But what we did not learn was that over 5.5 million of the workers in essential industries in the U.S.— one out of every 20 — are undocumented immigrants. And these people — so vital in how our country made it through the pandemic’s first year — face difficult if not insurmountable hurdles in getting vaccinated.