From Access to Mobility: Immigrant Workers in the App-Based Gig Economy
By Lorena Roque
This report from CLASP and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides an in-depth look at the role of gig work in the lives of immigrant workers. The data show that gig work can offer short-term financial relief to immigrant workers and their families. However, the longstanding lack of regulations and worker protection in this sector makes gig work particularly precarious for immigrants, who are disproportionately affected by discriminatory and xenophobic rhetoric and policies.
The report draws on three different forms of immigrant gig worker data: programmatic data from the IRC, a service provider for immigrants and refugees; survey data; and qualitative interviews. The qualitative interviews were conducted in late 2024 and early 2025, before the second Trump Administration ramped up its anti-immigrant policies to the current level.
In addition to providing insight into the lived experience of immigrant gig workers and their families, this report offers recommendations for policymakers to ensure that all immigrant gig workers are able to do their jobs safely and with dignity.
