John, 

Relief for immigrants may finally be on the way. Late last Friday, the House of Representatives passed a $1.2 trillion dollar relief package to help those struggling to survive under these incredibly stressful economic conditions. Passing the HEROES act in the House is a huge step in the right direction—toward a just pandemic response and a future where ALL New Yorkers are safe and secure. We’re grateful to our leaders, like Representatives Nydia Velazquez, Yvette Clarke, Grace Meng, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who fought for immigrants in this relief package. 

But our work isn’t over. Immigrants were included in this bill, but now we’re facing an uphill battle in the Senate. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and his xenophobic ilk are committed to excluding immigrants in the next relief package. 

Our NY Senator Chuck Schumer, the Minority Leader, wields immense negotiating power—and this time, we can’t let him cave under pressure from conservatives who’d like to see immigrants left in the cold. Will you join us by sending the Senator a message demanding immigrants are included in the Senate’s relief package?

Immigrants, especially undocumented workers, are on the frontlines of this pandemic, risking their health to help us overcome this crisis. For those who have lost their jobs, things are even more dire. Half of immigrant and undocumented workers have already lost their jobs due to COVID-19. There are more than 360,000 undocumented immigrant New Yorkers serving as front-line workers, yet undocumented workers who have been laid off aren’t eligible for unemployment benefits—and these workers and their citizen and legal resident family members were excluded from Federal relief, a total of 1.2 million New Yorkers in all. 

Getting relief to the immigrants who have sacrificed for the safety of our communities is absolutely critical. Your help gets us closer to a reality in which each and every one of us can access COVID-19 testing and treatment, where we’re all eligible for the economic support we need, and can build a more just, more resilient safety net for all of us. 
 

In solidarity,

Steve Choi
Executive Director