Though the LIFT the BAR Act was introduced months ago, only 56 members have signed on as cosponsors. With your help, we can change that.
** Next Week: LTB Week of Action!
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Dear Allies,
Next week kicks off our LIFT the BAR week of action! Please read below for more information on how to get involved and to learn more about the LIFT the BAR Act. We also have an update on our comment letter to the Department of State, an exciting new report from NILC, sample resources in response to the USDA letter ([link removed]) released last week, as well as a new issue brief from Manatt on CHIP coverage options for pregnant women regardless of immigration status and their children.
** Reminder: LIFT the BAR
Week of Action Next Week!
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Join PIF and our partners for a week of action starting on Monday, January 24 to encourage members of the U.S. House of Representatives to be co-sponsors of the LIFT the BAR Act (H.R. 5227 ([link removed]) ). Though the bill was introduced months ago, only 56 members have signed on as cosponsors. With your help, we can change that.The top 3 things you can do right now to advance the LIFT the BAR Act are:
1. Encourage your House member to co-sponsor LTBA. Have a meeting with staff or email them during the week of January 24th.
2. Send a LTBA endorsement letter or e-blast to your Congressional delegation encouraging them to co-sponsor LTBA during the week of January 24th.
3. Use social media to thank your House Member for co-sponsoring!
To help you, we have prepared a wide range of materials including:
* A draft meeting request ([link removed]) for you to email Congressional staff; step-by-step instructions ([link removed]) for having a meeting; and key messages ([link removed]) .
* Tools ([link removed]) for engaging partner organizations in your state and the media.
* Resources ([link removed]) about the 5-year bar and the importance of the LTBA from partner organizations.
For more background on the Lifting Immigrant Families Through Benefits Access Restoration Act (LIFT the BAR Act, HR 5227), check out PIF’s one-pager fact sheet ([link removed]) .
** Update: PIF's DOS Comment Letter
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Yesterday, the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition submitted a sign-on comment ([link removed]) in response to the Department of State (DOS) Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on public charge. The comment was signed by 286 organizations from 40 states, representing diverse sectors and issue areas. We couldn’t have done this without you, and we are so grateful for your partnership.
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** NILC State and Local Policy Report
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Each year, NILC tracks progressive policy advancements at the state and local level, culminating in an annual policy report. The newest report ([link removed]) highlights the immigrant inclusive laws enacted in 2021, as well as some pending bills and campaigns. During this time, states adopted policies improving access to health care, higher education, and professional licenses for immigrants; protecting the rights of workers and tenants; investing in access to counsel; strengthening driver and consumer privacy; and limiting local entanglement in federal immigration enforcement efforts. As Congress considers options for providing a pathway to permanent status or temporary relief to millions of immigrants in the U.S., states and localities have taken significant action to improve the lives of their community members, regardless of their immigration status. In response to effective local organizing, almost half the states
adopted immigrant-inclusive laws and policies in 2021.
** Sample USDA Partner Letter and Release
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PIF has put together a sample letter and release ([link removed]') intended to help PIF partners make the most of the opportunity created by the joint letter released January 13 ([link removed]) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (through its Food and Nutrition Service) and the Department of Homeland Security (through its Citizenship and Immigration Services). The sample letter asks state SNAP directors for help in thawing the public charge chilling effect. We also have a model tweet ([link removed]) that we encourage you to copy and share with your followers.
** New CHIP Resource from Manatt
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In “Supporting Health Equity and Affordable Health Coverage for Immigrant Populations: CHIP Coverage Option for Pregnant Immigrants and their Children,” a new issue brief ([link removed]) prepared for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Health and Value Strategies program, Manatt Health offers considerations for policymakers about coverage options for pregnant women and their children, regardless of immigration status . This issue brief is the second in a series on health equity and affordable health coverage for immigrant populations, the initial issue brief ([link removed]) focused on state-funded affordable coverage programs for immigrants.
In Solidarity,
Eddie Carmona, on behalf of the PIF Team
Visit us at [link removed]
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