Can illegal immigrants receive workers compensation benefits? Yes, no, and maybe.
In the often-chaotic arena of state-specific workers' compensation laws, there is little consensus on the issue of benefits to undocumented workers. A handful of states have legislation on the books that dictate whether or not illegal aliens are covered; others address the eligibility of aliens, but without reference to their legal status; and the vast majority ignore the issue completely, setting forth workers' compensation eligibility criteria without any mention of aliens or immigration status.
As if the patchwork quilt of state laws was not confusing enough, federal law also comes into play. Even if a state deems that an undocumented worker is eligible for workers' compensation benefits, some of those benefits may run afoul of the Immigration Reform and Control Act.
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