Opportunities to Take Action
at the Federal & State Level

Dear Allies,

The current public health crisis makes it clear that we are all in this together – we are only as safe as those members of our community who are most at risk. Because of discriminatory policies like public charge and inadequate federal legislation to date that fails to provide comprehensive solutions for all of us, many immigrants are afraid and unable to access the health care and other programs that help families weather this pandemic. Now is the time to push for inclusive policies at the federal and state levels -- and we urgently need your help. In today’s newsletter we are sharing opportunities to take action.

FEDERAL ADVOCACY

Coronavirus legislation enacted to date—including the Families First and the CARES Act—doesn’t go far enough to address the vast inequities in how immigrant communities are affected by the public health and economic crisis. 

It is time for Congress to address the needs of immigrants in the next package. We hope you will join us and send a message to your Members of Congress asking that they eliminate barriers to care and support immigrant families. Here are two ways to take action.

• Visit the Take Action page on the PIF website and encourage your networks to do the same. In 3 minutes or less, you can speak up and make your voice heard. 

• Join our sign-on letter. We have drafted an organizational sign-on letter urging Congressional leaders to quickly pass legislation that will make all of our communities healthier and more secure. Click here to view the text of the letter. You can sign your organization on with this form. The deadline to join is COB on Wednesday, 4/15. 

STATE ADVOCACY

The PIF Campaign has two new Toolkits for State and Local Government Officials. These toolkits were initially developed to help states with implementation of the public charge regulations, but have since been updated with some COVID-19 resources as well. We encourage you to check out the recommended resources and action steps and share these toolkits with state agency officials and state attorney general offices. 

• PIF State Benefits Agency Toolkit 

• PIF State AG Toolkit 

PIF FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT

Two weeks ago, we announced that the PIF Campaign is now inviting proposals from community-based non-profit organizations. A copy of the Request for Proposals (RFP) is available here and applications are due by 5:00 pm ET on Friday, April 24. Last week, we held a webinar to answer questions. Click here to access the recording. We’ve also developed an FAQ document. If you have any questions not answered in the resources here, please reach out to Renato Rocha ([email protected]) & Kat Lundie ([email protected]).

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together to ensure that everyone has the resources they need to thrive, regardless of where they were born.

Madison Allen, CLASP
Jenny Rejeske & Connie Choi, NILC
Visit us at https://protectingimmigrantfamilies.org/