NILC Immigrant Justice Fund Responds to Republican COVID-19 Relief Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2020

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, gastelum@nilc-ijf.org, 213-375-3149

WASHINGTON, DC — Republicans in the U.S. Senate on Monday released a $1 trillion COVID-19 relief package, the HEALS Act. With millions of Americans seeking work or on the precipice of unemployment, the bill would cut financial assistance to those who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. Like a previous relief bill signed into law in March, the bill excludes millions of immigrant taxpayers and U.S. citizens from financial relief. It also makes employers largely immune from liability due to the pandemic.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center Immigrant Justice Fund, issued the following statement:

“House Democrats passed a COVID relief bill months ago, yet Senate Republicans and President Trump sat on their hands and refused to act, all while a resurging pandemic has continued to devastate communities in every part of our country. Now, Mitch McConnell has decided to prioritize the desires of huge corporations over our nation’s families and has put forward a bill that cuts help for those out of work, denies workers hazard pay, and intentionally excludes many immigrant families and U.S. citizens from relief payments.

“It is outrageous. We should be expanding financial help to all families, especially when so many taxpayers whose contributions are helping to provide relief for others were left out of previous bills. Instead, Republicans are proposing to leave more people behind despite the fact that we’re all being impacted by the pandemic. We must reject outright this paltry and shortsighted response to an unprecedented health and economic crisis.

“The coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic crisis have further exposed our country’s longstanding racial inequities and put into stark relief that we all depend on each other. To get through this time we must ensure that we all have access to the care and support we need. The shortcomings of previous federal relief packages cannot be repeated. They were wholly insufficient, excluding millions of Americans, including millions of immigrants and their families who do essential work to help keep our communities running.

“We need inclusive relief that helps everyone in our communities.”

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