Despite the donations of bottled water pouring into Michigan to help victims facing the Flint water crisis, there are still hundreds of immigrants in the community who are not receiving help.

According to local estimates, up to 1,000 undocumented immigrants in Flint are opting not to receive any type of assistance in wake of the water emergency, which has exposed the entire population to toxic levels of lead, reports ABC affiliate WJRT.

The drinking water in Flint -- a municipality that is predominantly African-American and one of the poorest cities in the nation -- first became contaminated with lead after state officials decided to start using the Flint River as a water supply in April 2014 to save money, reported The New York Times.

That's when residents began complaining that their faucet water looked like urine and caused skin rashes. However, their cries were ignored for months while officials told them the water was safe to use for bathing and cooking.

Gov. Rick Snyder didn't take action until an independent research study conducted in 2015 found elevated levels of toxic lead in the blood of children in the area. He then decided to switch the water supply from the Flint River back to Lake Huron last October.

Since then, free water filters and bottled water have been distributed to residents to help them deal with the lead contamination in Flint's water supply. The National Guard has also lent a hand to help the American Red Cross distribute water to residents. Still, some of the most vulnerable members in the community are not being helped.

After working in Flint to reach victims of the crisis for the last four months, Deacon Paul Donnelly of St. Mary's Church says undocumented immigrants have refused assistance in order to avoid being deported.

"Some folks we've found are very nervous about being found. They want to avoid talking to any strangers," he told WJRT.

As a result, they're not going to water distribution centers, calling for help or getting deliveries.

According to his estimates and other working on the ground, hundreds of mostly Hispanic immigrants live in Flint and don't speak English, which is why they are just finding out about the ongoing crisis.

"Some of them only in the last two weeks, one week, because they've heard about the lead from family members who live far away," Donnelly said.

"One day I turned on the faucet and the water started coming out yellow," said an undocumented woman by the name of Lucia, who left Mexico in 1993. The single mother has been living in Flint for the last 10 years.

"I'm not here legally. And I'm always scared that they'll arrest me, and then deport me," she said.

After becoming aware of the polluted tap water four months ago, Lucia said she's been forced to buy bottled water because she scared of going to a distribution center.

"I got close to see what they were giving out, and it was water. And the first thing they asked me for was my license," she said.

Other community groups that distribute water door-to-door said undocumented immigrants say won't even open their doors for them.

This is why Christine Sauvé of Welcoming Michigan, an organization that helps immigrants integrate in the state, says language access is crucial in immigrant communities.

"Critical information concerning water safety must be translated so all community members can protect their children and safeguard their health," she told Latin Post.

"It is important to create an environment that is welcoming and supportive of immigrants before a crisis happens so that all residents, including immigrants, can receive the full benefit of public services funded by their tax dollar contributions."

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