Essential but Excluded
Thousands of immigrants in Tennessee like me are working on the front lines of the pandemic, keeping communities healthy, safe, and fed, but so far many have been left out of Congress’s efforts to provide care and economic relief.
When the pandemic struck, my cleaning business suffered and I lost critical income to support myself and my family. As a member of a mixed-status family, I was left out of the previous economic stimulus package and have struggled to make ends meet during the crisis.
As the Senate comes back in session, we must make sure that they include immigrants in the next round of COVID- 19 relief. We know the only way to pull through this crisis is to make sure our communities have what they need to get by.
Take 1 minute to tell Senator Alexander to include immigrants in critical care and relief.
The House has already passed a bill that would be the first to give critical health and economic relief to over 129,000 Tennesseans who were previously excluded because they or someone in their family are undocumented.
Now it’s up to the Senate to take action and ensure that all of us, regardless of immigration status, are included. We need to make sure that the following demands are included in any additional COVID-relief bill moving in the Senate:
Direct Economic Stimulus to All Workers, Including ITIN Filers, Mixed-Status Families, and Dependents
Expand Access to Testing and Treatment for COVID-19 Under Medicaid to All People, Regardless of Immigration Status
Expand Eligibility to Unemployment Insurance for All Workers, Regardless of Immigration Status
Automatically Extend Work Permits and Status for Immigrants with Employment Authorization
Suspend Immigration Enforcement and Release Immigrants from Detention
Suspend the Implementation of the Public Charge Rule