TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Include Immigrant Survivors in Coronavirus Stimulus Package
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are currently negotiating around the CARES Act (S. 3548) - a massive $1.6 trillion-plus emergency economic and health care package to tackle the coronavirus (or COVID-19) crisis. But the bill excludes millions of immigrants - including survivors of domestic, sexual, and other forms of gender-based violence - from accessing COVID-19 testing and critical economic supports.
Following are two ways you can take action to ensure the health, safety, and financial security of immigrant survivors.
Call your member of Congress and your Senators TODAY. The Capitol Switchboard Number is 202.224.3121.
Sample Script: "My name is _______ and I’m calling from [City and State] and I'm a voter in your district. Thank you for your bipartisan efforts to pass an effective response to the COVID-19 crisis we’re all facing together. I’m calling today to ask [Senator ________ or Representative ________ ] to:
Eliminate immigrant restrictions on the new Medicaid State Option for COVID-19 testing to ensure that everyone, including immigrant survivors of violence, is able to receive free COVID-19 testing and access treatment and care for the virus.
Ensure that income supports, including cash-payments, are available to all taxpayers, including those with Taxpayer Identification Numbers, to ensure that survivors have access to resources during this crisis.
Automatically extend legal status and employment authorization for all immigrant workers with non-immigrant status or work authorization whose status or employment authorization has expired or will expire within a year.
I urge you to include these fixes in the COVID-19 legislative packages in order to increase safety and support for immigrant and refugee survivors of gender-based violence. Our national response to this crisis will only be successful if we protect everyone impacted by COVID-19, including immigrant survivors of violence.”
Sample tweets to speak up on social media
.@SenateGOP, @HouseGOP, @SenateDems & @HouseDems – Ensure the health & safety of EVERYONE in the U.S. Remove restrictions on Medicaid so immigrant & refugee survivors of #domesticviolence & #sexualassault can access testing, treatment & care for #COVID19. @4ImmSurvivors
.@SenateGOP, @HouseGOP, @SenateDems & @HouseDems – Excluding immigrant survivors of violence from #coronavirus testing makes no sense in combating the virus. Eliminate immigration restrictions on Medicaid so that all can get the treatment & care they need. @4ImmSurvivors
.@SenateGOP, @HouseGOP, @SenateDems & @HouseDems – Make economic supports available to immigrant survivors of #domesticviolence in all #COVID19 legislative packages to ensure that they don’t fall into poverty or are forced to return to their abusers. @4ImmSurvivors
.@SenateGOP, @HouseGOP, @SenateDems & @HouseDems – With job insecurity rapidly rising, allow immigrant survivors who hold TPS, #DACA, U visa, etc. to keep their work authorization & protection from deportation. @4ImmSurvivors
As COVID-19 continues to spread nationwide, read our statement on AIS’s policy priorities to ensure that survivors who are impacted by COVID-19 receive the support and care they need and deserve.