On March 20, 2020, T’ruah joined with over 300 organizations to call for the inclusion of immigrants in Congress’s newest COVID-19 relief package. We appeal to Americans across the country to stand up for the most vulnerable in our society.
The statement reads:
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Schumer,
We are writing to urge you to address two major provisions of the proposed COVID-19 relief
bill that will exclude millions of immigrant families, including U.S. citizen children. We
cannot protect the nation from the Coronavirus and its economic impact if we deny health
care and financial relief to a large segment of our communities. The virus and its effects do
not discriminate based on immigration status, and neither should relief efforts. Immigrants are
front-line workers leading the response to the pandemic in the arenas such as public health,
agriculture, food preparation and delivery, and cleaning and maintenance. Moreover, effective
public health responses require attention to all community members, as a pandemic response
that excludes any members of our communities will weaken its effectiveness. None of us can be healthy if any of us is denied access to testing and care.
As written, the bill includes two provisions that require urgent fixes for immigrant
communities affected by this public health and economic crisis. A core provision of Congress’
plan to provide free COVID-19 testing to “everybody” would leave out millions of low- and
moderate-income immigrants, and the tax rebate proposal currently excludes mixed-status
families and ITIN tax filers.
HEALTH CARE EXCLUSION
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act’s Medicaid state option for the uninsured
excludes some green card holders and many other people who are lawfully residing in the US.
Federal Medicaid is available only to certain a subset of immigrants who have had a
“qualified” immigration status for five years, “humanitarian” immigrants, military/veterans
and their families, and in some states, lawfully residing children and/or pregnant women.
Many lawfully residing immigrants — including people granted DACA, most lawful
permanent residents during their first five years in that status, survivors of crime granted U
visas, people from certain Pacific Island nations, and people with TPS–along with those
without status, are ineligible for federal Medicaid.
SOLUTION: Revise section: Emergency Medicaid for Suspected COVID-19 Infections
Ensure that during this public health emergency, testing and treatment of health conditions is
provided by Medicaid for all who need it, regardless of their immigration status.
TAX REBATE EXCLUSION
The proposed bill leaves out tax filers who have worked and earned income like other
taxpayers covered by this bill by excluding households whose tax returns include taxpayers or
children who file with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). These families
include U.S. citizen children and spouses who are also harmed by the COVID-1 crisis. This
exclusion of mixed-status families and individual ITIN filers is both deeply unfair and will
exclude families hardest hit by this emergency. It could also make it more difficult to
ensure that families can shelter in place, to protect public health.
To fully address this crisis and the economic hardships that people will endure, we need
to treat all workers who have contributed to the economy and are also devastated
by this economic downturn.
SOLUTION: Amend Relief for Individuals, Families, and Businesses Title I: Rebates and
Other Individual Provisions
Ensure that all persons who file taxes with a Social Security Number or other individual
taxpayer number as defined under 26 U.S.C. 6109 can apply for the rebate.
Thank you for your leadership in these challenging times.
Sincerely,
1,000 Days
ACCESS
ACLU People Power Fairfax
Action NC
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc.
African Communities Together
African Services Committee
AGS Immigrant Center Inc
Al Otro Lado
Alameda Health Consortium
Aldea – The People’s Justice Center
Alianza Americas
AltaMed Health Services
American Association of People with Disabilities
American Civil Liberties Union
American Council of the Blind
American Friends Service Committee
Americans for Immigrant Justice
Arab American Association of NY
Arriba Las Vegas Worker Center
Ascension Outreach, Inc.
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Asian American Federation
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA
Asian Americans for Equality
Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence
Asian Real Estate Association of America’s (AREAA)
ASISTA
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Ayuda
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Bet Tzedek Legal Services
Black and Pink
Black Lives Matter Hudson Valley
BlackLine
Border Crit Institute
Buddhist Global Relief
Buen Vecino
Building Bridges
California Coverage & Health Initiatives
California Immigrant Policy Center
California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
California Partnership
California Primary Care Association
Cameroon American Council
CARECEN
CASA
Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities
Casa San Jose
Catholic Migration Services
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Center for Popular Democracy
Center for Victims of Torture
Central American Legal Assistance
Central American Resource Center – of California
Central American Resource Center (CARECEN SF)
Central American Resource Center (CARECEN-LA)
Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative (CVIIC)
Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc.
Centro Legal de la Raza
Chan Law Firm
Chapman Law Firm
Children Now
Children’s Defense Fund
Children’s HealthWatch
Chinatown Manpower Project
Chinese Progressive Association
Chinese-American Planning Council
Christ Church, Sparkill, NY
Christian Reformed Church Office of Social Justice
Chung Pak LDC
Church of the Ascension
Civil Rights for Persons with Disabilities Legal Clinic
Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice
Coachella Valley Immigrant Dignity Coalition
Coalition for Asian American Children and Families
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
Coalition on Human Needs
COFEM
Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy and Research Organization / CLLARO
Columbia Law School Immigrants’ Rights Clinic
Columbia Legal Services
Committee of Inters and Residents/SEIU
CommonSpirit Health
Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc.
Community Catalyst
Community Change Action
Community Clinic Association of LA County
Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education
Community Health Network of Washington
Community Health Plan of Washington
Community Justice Project
Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces
CT Students for a DREAM
Demand Progress
Detention Watch Network
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
Domincan Development Center
Drug Policy Alliance
Edu-Futuro
El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos
El Concilio Family Services
El Dorado Community Health Centers
El Pueblo, Inc.
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin
Enlace Comunitario
Equal Justice Center
Equal Rights Advocates
Equality California
Equality Labs
First 5 Marin Children and Families Commission
First Focus Campaign for Children
Florida Legal Services, Inc.
Food Research & Action Center
Freedom for Immigrants
Freedom Network USA
Fresno Barrios Unidos
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Gardner Health Services
Gender Violence Clinic, University of Maryland Carey School of Law
Golden Valley Health Centers
Greater Boston Legal Services
Guttmacher Institute
Health Care Voter
HIAS
Hispanic Federation
Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama
Human Rights Advocates International (HRAI)
Human Rights First
Human Rights Initiative of North Texas
Human Rights Watch
Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence
IL Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)
Immigrant & Non-Citizen Rights Clinic – CUNY Law School
Immigrant Defense Advocates
Immigrant Justice Clinic, University of Arizona College of Law
Immigrant Justice Corps
Immigrant Legal Defense
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Immigration Advocacy & Research Group, Inc.
Immigration Hub
Immigration Task Force
IMPRINT
Indivisible
Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice
InnerCity Struggle
Interfaith assembly on homelessness and housing
Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
Islamic Society of Baltimore (ISB)
Javier G. Pineda, Professional Law Corp.
Jewish Community Action
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
JFON Houston
Just Futures Law
Justice For All
Justice for Migrant Families WNY
Justice for Migrant Women
Justice for Our Neighbors Houston
Justice for Our Neighbors-Michigan
Kathia Quirós Pereira
Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center
KIWA (Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance)
La Raza Centro Legal
La Resistencia
LA Voice
LAANE
Lambda Legal
Latino Coalition for a Healthy CA
LatinoJustice PRLDEF
Law Office of Helen Lawrence
Law Office of Isela Castaneda
Law Office of Kerry E McGrath
Law Office of Stephanie Nodine, LLC
League of Women Voters of the United States
Legal Aid at Work
Legal Aid Justice Center
Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County
Lights for Liberty
Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition
Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence
Make the Road New York
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
Maternal and Child Health Access
Matthew 25/Mateo 25
Metrowest Legal Services
Mi Familia Vota
Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project
Mijente
Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project
MomsRising
Muslim American Society-Public Affairs and Civic Engagement
Muslim Public Affairs Council
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
NAKASEC Virginia
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
National Center for Law and Economic Justice
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Council of Jewish Women
National Domestic Workers Alliance
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Health Law Program
National Immigrant Justice Center
National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
National Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Partnership for New Americans
National Partnership for Women & Families
National TPS Alliance
National WIC Association
National Women’s Law Center
Navigate/Unidos MN
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Never Again Action – Los Angeles
New American Economy
New Sanctuary Coalition
New Sanctuary Coalition NYC
New York Immigration Coalition
New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Next100
Niskanen Center
North Carolina Justice Center
Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights (NMCIR)
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
Northwest Regional Primary Care Association
Open Immigration Legal Services
Operation Access
Pangea Legal Services
People Organized for Westside Renewal
People’s Parity Project
Pereira & Associates
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Poder Latinx
Population Connection Action Fund
Prevention Institute
Promesa Boyle Heights
Public Counsel
Quixote Center
Rapid Response Network of Monterey County
Reformed Church of Highland Park
Resilience Orange County
RESULTS
Rian Immigrant Center
Rockland Immigration Coalition
Sakhi for South Asian Women
San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium
Santa Fe Dreamers Project
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Silver State Equality-Nevada
SIREN (Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network)
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team
Sound Vision Foundation
South Asian Americans Leading Together
South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
South Texas Human Rights Center
Southern Poverty Law Center
Southwest Environmental Center
Southwestern Law School Removal Defense Clinic and Pro Bono Removal Defense Program
St. Bartholomew’s Church, Manhattan
St. James’ Church
St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Mt. Kisco, NY
Still Waters Anti-trafficking Program
Street Level Health Project
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Tax March
Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
The Advocates for Human Rights
The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
The Buddhist Council of New York
The Cal-Pac Conference of the United Methodist Church
The Community Law Office
The Greenlining Institute
The Interfaith Center of New York
The Korean American Family Service Center
The Legal Aid Society
The Legal Project
The New York Board of Rabbis
The Second Step, Steps to Justice Legal Office
The Sikh Coalition
The Tiyya Foundation
The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society
The Women’s Law Center of Maryland
TODEC Legal Center
TPS Committee of Nevada
Transformations CDC
Treatment Action Group
Trinity Church Wall Street
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic
UFW Foundation
UMB Law & Social Work Services Program
UNAVSA
UndocuBlack Network
UnidosUS
Union for Reform Judaism
Union Theological Seminary
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
UNITE HERE
United We Dream
Unity Health Care
University of Maryland Carey Immigration Clinic
University of Maryland Carey School of Law Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic
University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic
University of Maryland School of Law Criminal Defense Clinic
University of Maryland, Carey School of Law Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
University of Miami School of Law, Human Rights Clinic
Violence Intervention Program, Inc.
Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights
Vision y Compromiso
Voices for Progress
Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network
WeCount!
Welcome Back Initiative
Wilson Immigration
Womankind
Workplace Justice Project at Loyola Law Clinic
World Education Services
Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic
Yes
Youth, Education and Justice Clinic, University of Maryland Carey School of Law