South Carolina Bills would end aid to injured Undocumented Immigrants

Under workers’ compensation laws, legal residency does not matter. But bills filed before the S.C. Legislature would change that. Who pays when an illegal worker is injured on the job increasingly is an issue in South Carolina, where hundreds of immigrants arrive each year to work. They often take on dangerous jobs for low wages and are injured at higher rates than other workers. Many do not speak English, so they don’t understand safety instructions — if they receive training at all. Illegal immigrants also rarely understand federal and state employment laws, so they do not know the protections they are entitled to receive. This gives employers a chance to take advantage of the workers, especially after they get hurt, advocates for the workers say. People who do not want illegal aliens in the community think the workers should lose protection when they sneak into the country and then lie about their status to get a job. In January, two state representatives filed bills that would eliminate workers’ compensation claims for illegal aliens who obtain jobs through fraud, such as presenting fake ID cards and Social Security numbers. The proposed changes are part of an effort to rewrite S.C. workers’ compensation laws. The move to deny illegal workers’ claims has not progressed in the Legislature. But the move concerns the state’s Hispanic community, which makes up the largest number of undocumented workers. “Obviously, we’re opposed,” said Edgar Medina, chairman of the S.C. Hispanic Leadership Council. “You want to have them here to work and sacrifice, but when something goes wrong, you don’t want to take care of them. It’s narrow-minded.” [more]