Preparing for Biden’s Immigration Bill 

Dear Allies,

A few weeks ago, President Biden announced plans to advance legislation to build a more just and welcoming immigration system, including creating a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants. We are soon expecting Senator Menendez and Representative Sánchez to introduce the House and Senate versions of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. PIF and our partners will be analyzing the legislation for its impact on improving access to benefits and we plan to work with congressional leadership to strengthen the bill to ensure that all immigrants and their families have access to the supports and services they need. 

Below, you can find a sign-on statement that the PIF team has developed in response to the immigration bill, highlighting the need to increase immigrant access to benefits. We encourage organizations at the local, state, and national level to sign on as soon as possible. PIF will share our analysis and additional resources about the bill as soon as possible, and will keep you updated as the legislative process moves forward. 

In today’s newsletter, we are also sharing an upcoming webinar from FRAC and UnidosUS on recent federal actions on nutrition programs.

In response to the anticipated introduction of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, PIF is circulating a sign-on statement underscoring the importance of immigrant access to benefits. Specifically, PIF looks forward to working with the President and Congress to address existing restrictions to benefits and ensure that otherwise-eligible immigrants who hold the transitional status established by the bill will be able to get health care through insurance programs like Medicaid, CHIP and through the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace, including access to subsidies and tax credits. We also want to make sure that these immigrants can access food through programs like SNAP and WIC, safe, decent housing through programs like Section 8, and tax credits and other initiatives that provide a basic level of economic security. 

National, state and local organizations are encouraged to sign on using this link. If you have any questions, please reach out to Isobel Mohyeddin ([email protected]).

Join the Food Research & Action Center and UnidosUS for a webinar to discuss the recent federal actions on federal nutrition programs in response to the pandemic, what they mean for the Latino community, and opportunities at the state and federal level to increase food access for Latino children and families. The webinar is scheduled on Friday, February 19 at 12pm ET / 9am PT. Learn more and register here.

In Solidarity,

Eddie Carmona & Renato Rocha, on behalf of the PIF Team

Visit us at https://protectingimmigrantfamilies.org/