DACA Decision & New COVID-19 Resources

Dear Allies,

In today’s newsletter, we are continuing to celebrate Thursday’s DACA decision and sharing quotes from DACA recipients connected to the PIF Campaign. We also have several *NEW* resources to share with you as you continue your outreach efforts on access to public programs during COVID-19, including resources specific to Pandemic-EBT for immigrant families. 

On Thursday, The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s unconscionable attempt to terminate the availability of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), ruling that the administration’s efforts to end DACA violated federal law. As the fight continues for permanent protection for DACA recipients and all undocumented people, we want to extend a special note of gratitude and admiration for the undocumented youth that fought for the creation of the DACA program in the first place, and whose voices have been instrumental in protecting the program. Below, we are sharing a few quotes from DACAmented staff and stakeholders at CLASP, NILC and one of our partner organizations.

• “The fight for immigrant justice is part of a larger, collective fight for justice.” - Vanessa Meraz, CLASP 
   
• “Today marks a historic victory for immigrant youth who have led the fight for respect and dignity for all communities...We took our power to the streets, the hallways of Congress, to the highest court in the land and we won. For almost three years we have been living with immense uncertainty, and today we are able to breathe a sigh of relief. Nonetheless, our fight does not end with the decision by the Supreme Court; our fight continues for permanent protection for DACA recipients and all undocumented people.” - Martín Batalla Vidal, a member of Make the Road New York and a lead plaintiff in Wolf v. Batalla Vidal
   
• "The organizing and advocacy that brought us DACA and the American Dream and Promise Act tapped into a groundswell of support for young undocumented Black and brown immigrants that lives to this day, and that Trump’s attacks have failed to extinguish. Millions mobilized across the country to demand change locally and nationwide, ultimately culminating in the announcement of DACA, after many sit-ins, rallies, and vigils. However, the impermanence of DACA is a reminder that the immigration and criminal justice system still have flaws that bear down disproportionately on Black and brown immigrants, and which need reform.” - Giovana Oaxaca, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and exacerbated the inequities in health care access for communities of color and immigrants in the U.S. In the past few months, we have received reports from many of you that immigrant families are afraid to access medical treatment for COVID-19 and critical economic supports because of public charge. Any barrier that keeps our communities from accessing care and accessing economic supports jeopardizes our collective health and economic recovery. As you continue your outreach and advocacy efforts, we have updated the Analysis & Research page of our website to include a COVID-specific section. We also wanted to draw your attention to new resources from the PIF Campaign and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

• PIF Education Toolkit: Public Charge and COVID-19 - This education packet includes template versions of PIF material that you can adapt to your audience and brand with your organization’s logo. The partner resources featured are examples of education material that address both public charge and COVID-19.

• PIF Public Benefits Awareness Social Media Toolkit - Shareables for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram explain that most people can still use public programs like SNAP, Medicaid and housing assistance without jeopardizing their immigration status. This resource had been updated with NEW posts on COVID-related programs including P-EBT, stimulus payments and COVID testing/ treatment. 

• AILA Practice Alert on COVID-19 and the Public Charge Rule -  Responses to some frequently asked questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on public charge inadmissibility determinations.

To date, over 40 states have been approved for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Program, which provides nutritional resources to families who have lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to school closures. Families will receive money on a new or existing EBT card to help fill the school meals gap. For many immigrant families who’ve been excluded from unemployment assistance and stimulus checks, P-EBT may be the only new resource available to help them weather this challenging time. We have been thrilled to see so many of our partners engaging in targeted outreach to immigrant families, and clarifying that P-EBT is not considered in the public charge test. Below are a few resources and examples to support your ongoing advocacy. 

• Draft (editable) P-EBT flyer

• Sample P-EBT outreach materials

  • Bilingual English/ Spanish Facebook live on P-EBT (North Carolina)

  • P-EBT webinar (Ohio)

  • COVID-19 Virtual Town Hall for Immigrants (Detroit)

  • Spanish-language P-EBT flyer (San Francisco)

  • FAQ From NYS OTDA (New York)

Thank you for your continued partnership!

Madison Allen (CLASP)
Connie Choi & Jenny Rejeske (NILC)

Visit us at https://protectingimmigrantfamilies.org/