We hope that you are doing well, taking care and in good health.  As this health crisis continues to devastate our global community, our hearts are heavy.  As we reflect upon this moment, we continue to show up for our communities in the ways that are most needed.

As you know, immigrants are among the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 crisis. As we all cooperate to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the ILRC is taking three broad approaches to continue our work:

The New Americans Campaign (NAC), led by the ILRC, quickly pivoted to provide remote consultations and application completion support by phone, text message, and video; promote the online application platform Citizenshipworks, and hold virtual information sessions and virtual workshops. It is the culture of the ILRC and the NAC to collaborate with partners to create new and relevant ways to pursue our mission.

The ILRC created a COVID-19 Innovation Support Fund within the NAC to spur creativity and innovative responses, proposed and implemented by NAC members, to serving lawful permanent residents and newly naturalized citizens without losing momentum.
Responding to fear and confusion among immigrants about Census 2020, we are promoting the Census to immigrant communities through technology and online platforms. We now conduct outreach through online webinars, social media graphics and alerts, paid ads on Facebook and Instagram, and telephonic conferences since our traditional face-to-face outreach is not safe at this time. 

 

The COVID-19 crisis underscores the enduring public health dangers presented by jails, prisons, and immigration detention. The ILRC joined partners from across criminal and immigrant justice movements to call on local, state, and federal law makers to rescind policies that result in incarceration and call for the release of incarcerated people. 

In Alameda County, the ILRC joined organizers to secure a commitment from the District Attorney to adopt a policy that no longer requires immigrants to serve extra time in jail in exchange for a non-deportable charge; increased transparency and accountability with community members; and release of people from Alameda jails and California prisons. The ILRC redoubles its efforts to bring these victories to other locations across the country.

Thousands of healthcare providers have reminded us that detained people are among the most vulnerable and most forgotten in this crisis. For some, continued detention will amount to a death sentence. As such, the Dignity not Detention Coalition, of which we are a founding member, has sent demands to ICE, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and local elected officials to release detained immigrants amidst the COVID-19 health crisis.

Actress and activist Diane Guerrero amplifies these demands. On March 31, Diane shared a video on her Instagram page to share the voices of those detained at Mesa Verde and to call for release under COVID-19. This video has now been viewed nearly 44,500 times. 

 

The impact of COVID-19 coincides with the implementation of new public charge rules. Immigrant families fear that accessing critical medical, nutrition, and housing safety net programs during this time would jeopardize their status. USCIS announced that testing, treatment, and preventive care for COVID-19 will not be considered in the public charge test, but the chilling effect on the community remains.

To combat misinformation and fear, the ILRC produced handouts, social media content, and webinars about the interplay between public charge rules and COVID-19. These materials are constantly updated and shared with community members and partners in the field to ensure immigrants and their families can protect themselves and keep our communities safe.

Along with the nimble approaches to our work outlined above, all staff at the ILRC are actively seeking and implementing new and innovative ways to pursue our mission and continue the work of fighting for a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. We are grateful for our partners in this work, and for your enduring support at this critical time for immigrants, their families, and our communities.