Dear John, 

Next week is Thanksgiving, and we are all looking forward to a break to be in the company of loved ones, family and friends who mean so much to us. Especially now, with a challenging year ahead. We at PIF are grateful for you – your energy, commitment, and creativity in the fight to ensure that immigrant families receive the benefits they need to thrive. Please enjoy a well-earned respite, and thank you for your partnership.

There will not be a PIF newsletter next week, but here’s what you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:

• Steering Committee in-person meeting
• Letter Opposing AI Language Access
• Summer EBT Survey
• Join Protecting Immigrant Families

We, on the PIF team, were grateful to reconnect with the coalition’s steering committee at an in-person meeting in Philadelphia this week. In addition to aligning around shared defensive priorities and collaborating on a gap analysis, we had the opportunity to learn from Pennsylvania advocates about their concerns, priorities, and strategies. We will share more about PIF’s plans for 2025 in the coming weeks.

Federal law requires state governments, hospitals, health insurance companies, and other federal contractors and grantees to provide meaningful language access to their programs and services. While regulations require them to use qualified interpreters and translators, some companies are advertising that AI can substitute for humans in provision of language services, potentially putting the health or lives of millions at risk. 

This letter, by the Association of Language Companies and PIF partners National Immigration Law Center and National Health Law Program, urges the Department of Health and Human Services to update its regulations to clarify that use of AI alone does not comply with language access requirements. Partners plan to send the letter Monday, so the deadline to sign on is Sunday, November 24.

Sign On

Our partners at No Kid Hungry have championed the new Summer EBT (“Sunbucks”) program launched this year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The survey linked below explores how Summer EBT helps or can help children and their families, as well as opportunities to improve enrollment. No Kid Hungry will use survey results to inform recommendations to state leaders and community organizations and to inform its own food security advocacy efforts. While the survey is not only for immigrant families, it is important to No Kid Hungry to understand how the program served immigrant families with children and how it can be more responsive to the needs of immigrant families. A gift card will be provided for eligible families who complete the survey. The survey is open now through December, in states offering Summer EBT, so please consider sharing it with the families you serve.

Share the Survey

Since Election Day, we’ve had a number of inquiries from organizations interested in learning more about or joining the coalition. If an immigrant-inclusive safety net is important to your organization, please join now. Becoming a PIF member is the best way to stay in the loop as we implement rapid response strategies, and membership gives organizations access to the full range of support systems available through PIF. Please contact us to learn more about the coalition or use the link below to join PIF.

Join the PIF Coalition

Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition
P.O. Box 34573
Washington, DC 20043
United States

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