Expedited Unemployment Processing Doesn’t Help Undocumented Food-Service Workers in Massachusetts

Here in Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that the state would be expediting unemployment insurance claims for workers who lost their jobs due to the impact of the pandemic. That measure certainly helps food-service workers who qualify for unemployment insurance benefits — but it does nothing to mitigate the economic anxieties of undocumented food-service workers.

“Undocumented workers are going to be the ones left out of any sort of social safety net we have set up,” said Lily Huang, who is the co-director of Massachusetts Jobs With Justice, a coalition of labor, faith, and student organizations that advocates for workers’ rights.