Americans Favor Medical Care but Not Economic Aid for Undocumented Immigrants Affected by COVID-19

About two-thirds of U.S. adults (68%) say the federal government has a responsibility to provide medical care to undocumented immigrants who are ill with the coronavirus, even as relatively few (37%) say the government should offer economic help to undocumented immigrants who have lost their job due to the outbreak, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted April 29 to May 5. Views on these questions vary widely by race and ethnicity, partisan identification and other characteristics.

Hispanics are the most supportive of the federal government providing medical and economic support to undocumented immigrants affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The vast majority of Hispanics (86%) say the government has a responsibility to provide medical care, and around six-in-ten (62%) say the same about economic help. {snip}

A strong majority of black adults (80%) also say the federal government has a responsibility to provide medical care, while about half (55%) say the government should provide economic help to undocumented immigrants affected by the coronavirus. By contrast, far lower shares of white adults say the government should provide medical care (61%) and economic help (27%).

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