Law Commons^™

Unintended Consequences? Undocumented, Working Poor Families And The Refundable Child Tax Credit, Francine J. Lipman

Francine J. Lipman

Immigrants toil in sweatshops for torturously long days at sub-minimum wages, which may or may not be paid, with little meaningful recourse. Immigrant workers with and without authorization to work in the United States are disproportionately represented among the lowest earners. The average wage among all low-wage immigrant workers was $14,400 in 2001. Moreover, almost half of immigrant workers earned less than twice the minimum wage. These hard working individuals are living in poverty.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) lifts almost 20 million low-income working individuals out of poverty every year. Unfortunately, the EITC does not apply if a …