Congress has a responsibility to act and help immigrants during this pandemic

My constituents Denisse Rojas and Hina Naveed are both healthcare practitioners volunteering in the hardest hit areas of the country in New York City, fighting on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19. They also have one more thing in common – they are DACA recipients – in fear of deportation and under constant attack from the Trump administration.

Like Denisse and Hina, 1.8 million other immigrants in New York work in essential businesses and about one-third of the state’s health care workers are immigrants, which means if you were cared for in NYC during the recent outbreak chances are the folks that helped saved your life were immigrants. Unfortunately, on the other side of this coin immigrants have been disproportionately impacted both by the virus and the resulting economic crisis.

America has sadly lost more than 120,000 lives from COVID-19, and more than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment. A deeper look at these somber figures show us the pandemic has taken an unequal economic and health-related toll on communities of color and immigrants.

Tens of millions of Latino families are struggling to put food on their tables, pay rent, and provide for their children. Many of these hardworking families largely work in service industries or essential frontline jobs without an option to work from the convenience of their homes, which leaves them exposed to higher risks of contracting the virus.

But these are not just numbers; they are an overt cry for help and require action. Not just condolences. Not just partisan football. Real action. 46% of Latinos say they’ve had trouble paying their bills, including medical expenses. Even more alarming, 39% report skipping meals or starting to rely on government food programs since February 2020.

On a daily basis, I’ve heard from struggling New Yorkers that while Congress’s stimulus payments have helped, it is not nearly enough. Especially for mixed-status families – American citizens who are married to or children of undocumented immigrants – who were not eligible to receive the economic impact payments allocated by Congress because of the Trump administration. This means U.S. citizen children who live in a household with an undocumented parent are not receiving money that could very well mean their next meal, or other essential needs. It’s unjust and outrageous.

President Trump has used this pandemic to attack immigrants, use them as scapegoats to his inept response to this public health crisis, and in doing so has blatantly disregarded the immigration laws of our country. We cannot and will not let his actions go unchecked. But despite the lack of empathy from the Trump administration, the good news is there is legislative measures we can take to help families overcome this financial strain. Congress has a responsibility to step in.

Senate Democrats stand fully behind the HEROES Act recently passed out of the House of Representatives. We especially support the following provisions in place to protect and assist Latino and immigrant communities as well as TPS holders:

First, we will continue fighting for funding to pay for Coronavirus testing for all, regardless of anyone’s immigration or uninsured status. This benefits all Americans.

Another equally important provision, and frankly the least we could do, is to provide families in America with the peace of mind that they will not be separated from loved ones. That is why shielding essential workers from deportation during this critical time is the humane and right thing to do. It would be an American tragedy to deport DACA recipients who are saving lives in the midst of this pandemic.

While we celebrate the Supreme Court ruling against the Trump administration’s termination of DACA, we cannot remain at ease. The fight is not over, as the administration continues to threaten the program’s existence. It is time extend work authorizations for the more than 200,000 DACA essential workers – including 41,700 health care workers – who, like Denisse and Hina, have been serving on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19. Despite their massive contributions to the American workforce, the Trump administration is hell-bent on arbitrarily ending these programs under the guise of protecting the American public, when in all actuality it would be robbing America of its most essential would be citizens.

We cannot risk that a single child or person in America goes hungry due to an unnecessary and heartless government provision. That’s what’s at risk for the over 16.7 million people who live in mixed-status households nationwide. Senate Democrats are going to ferociously fight so that tax-paying mixed-status families have access to the government stimulus support they need.

The HEROES Act is strong, bold, wise legislation that helps the Latino and immigrant community while addressing all Americans’ needs and combatting the coronavirus pandemic. It will help Denisse and Hina in New York and the over 300,000 TPS and DACA recipients, as well as the farm and plant workers, restaurant and hotel industry workers, and healthcare professionals deemed essential.

It is baffling that during one of the greatest crisis our country has ever faced, Senator McConnell and Senate Republicans feel “no urgency” to act immediately. Just how many more lost jobs, lost businesses, lost lives will it take? Republican leadership in Congress continues to overlook immigrants and we will not forget.

Our Democratic caucus reiterates our support and gratitude to the Latino and immigrant community, many contributing greatly on the frontlines of this fight against COVID. We stand with you and will continue providing the support needed to be both healthy and economically stable now and in the future.

(Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer)