New Research Documents the Harm of COVID-19 on Immigrant Families 

Dear Allies,

It has been six months since the start of the current health and economic crisis. Millions of immigrants continue to serve on the front line of COVID-19 response efforts but remain left out of Congressional relief programs. Families already under attack by the Administration’s public charge regulations, immigration enforcement, and other policies are now facing unprecedented challenges. We are grateful to our partners who have been documenting the experiences of immigrant communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Next week, the PIF Campaign is hosting a webinar to highlight some of the recent research. See registration details below. 

Wednesday, September 2 at 12-1 PT / 3-4 ET

>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

In this webinar, we’ll hear reports from experts in the healthcare field -- including a primary care physician from Massachusetts and medical-legal partnership coordinator from North Carolina -- who will share insights about their communities and their work serving immigrants and their families in light of the COVID-19 crisis and implementation of public charge policy changes. We’ll also hear about new research on what’s happening in the broader immigrant-serving field during the COVID-19 crisis, what response efforts have and have not done to support immigrant families, and how organizations have taken action to respond to this crisis. PIF campaign staff will also provide an overview of recommended messages for the public and immigrant families as well as briefly preview an upcoming Train-the-Trainer Toolkit.

Our partners at the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition are actively tracking the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immigrant families in Massachusetts. Earlier this summer, they launched a community survey, in partnership with member organizations. Those findings are compiled in this powerful report, now available on their website. Their findings highlight critical information gaps regarding program eligibility and public charge implications and the consequences of those gaps for families who are facing unprecedented challenges. The stories in the report include a chilling example of a mother who tried to apply for SNAP for her son, but said she was told – falsely – by a state worker that her data would be shared with the federal government and could be used to deport her. Other advocates reported that families are afraid to access certain types of assistance, including P-EBT, even though the program is not considered in the “public charge” test.

Thank you for your continued partnership!

Madison Allen (CLASP) & Eddie Carmona (NILC)

Visit us at https://protectingimmigrantfamilies.org/