Combating Racism in Public Benefit Programs:
 The Fight Continues 

Dear Allies,

August marks one year since the Department of Homeland Security’s public charge rule was finalized. In our comments opposing the rule, we pointed out that the history of public charge is rooted in prejudice and discrimination. The first federal statute precluding the admission of immigrants based on potential public charge was signed into law on August 3, 1882, three months after Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act.  After the establishment of immigration quotas based on national origin in the 1920s, the public charge provision was used to exclude European Jews seeking to escape Nazi genocide. 

As groups that work at the intersection of immigrant justice, health, and public benefits, we have been reflecting on the ways in which public benefit program policies have and continue to be complicit in upholding structures of oppression. Last week, I shared my thoughts on the CLASP blog. On the NWLC blog, Emerson Hunger Fellow Margaux Johnson-Green discussed immigrant eligibility restrictions in federal benefit programs and the false dichotomy between “deserving” and “undeserving” individuals with low incomes. 

With many immigrant families excluded from critical relief during the public health and economic crisis, it’s clear that discrimination in public benefit programs continues today. The CARES Act excluded millions of tax-paying immigrant and mixed-status families from receiving the stimulus payment and expanded unemployment insurance programs did not include support for undocumented workers. The PIF Campaign is working hard to correct the unjust exclusion of many immigrants from previous COVID-19 legislation and we need your help.  Keep reading for more information and resources on how you can advocate for an immigrant-inclusive COVID relief package.  

With just two weeks to go before the scheduled August congressional recess, all eyes are on the Senate--and Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell--for clues on where the next COVID relief package will go.  Late yesterday,  Senate Republicans  released outlines of their proposed bill.  It includes greatly reduced unemployment insurance funding, a second round of stimulus payments -- from which it appears that ITIN holders and their families are again excluded -- employer liability protections for entities opening up, and some funds for hospitals,  health centers,  and schools. It does not provide fiscal relief for states or localities, provide for testing and treatment for immigrants, address language access issues, end public charge, increase SNAP benefits or extend Pandemic-EBT. This will fall far short of what is needed to prevent workers and their families from hardship and keep our economy going.  It includes no provisions that will help immigrants and their families to stay safe and healthy. 

But remember, this is just McConnell’s opening bid.  For a bill to become law, it must pass both the House and Senate, and be signed by the President. The House of Representatives passed a comprehensive COVID relief package two months ago: the HEROES Act, which includes many immigrant-inclusive policies. So the time is now to fight for the policies that help all families -- including immigrant families -- thrive. This package is expected to be the last large pandemic funding legislation before the election and it must include PIF priorities. 

We need your help to ensure that immigrants are not once again excluded. Please use these PIF materials to push Congress, as negotiations are occurring now, to a fair and comprehensive COVID-19 package that leaves no one out.

• Check out our updated federal advocacy toolkit available at bit.ly/PIFCOVIDKIT.  The toolkit includes federal policy asks, key messages, state fact sheets, a social media toolkit, and more.

• Direct your allies, members or other constituents to go to PIF’s Take Action page at bit.ly/ActForImmigrantFamilies and ask them to contact their Member of Congress with just a few clicks!

• Get social on Twitter and Facebook with the PIF Social Media Toolkit at bit.ly/SocialforImmigrantFamilies. Tag your Members and ask your network to tweet; or set up a district-focused tweetstorm. 

Thank you for your continued partnership!

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

Visit us at https://protectingimmigrantfamilies.org/