National Immigration Law Center Statement Regarding $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Package

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Senate passed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, the American Rescue Act, to provide additional economic relief amidst the ongoing pandemic. Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“As we mark the painful one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, including the over 500,000 loved ones we have lost, we applaud Congress for passing an urgently needed relief bill that will provide more immigrant-inclusive, life-saving relief to our communities. In December of last year, Congress finally took the step of including nearly 3 miIlion people from mixed–immigration status families who had previously been denied stimulus checks. This latest relief package’s inclusion of 2.2 million more people is a further victory to be celebrated. Among those who will receive relief under this bill are U.S. citizens and lawfully present children in mixed-status families who wrongfully were denied stimulus checks previously.

“While we celebrate these aspects of the American Rescue Act, Congress unconscionably still continues to exclude 9.3 million immigrant workers and taxpayers from eligibility for stimulus checks, even as many of these same immigrants are working in essential roles and ensuring that our communities are able to weather this prolonged health crisis. Any future COVID-19 relief bills must ensure that all immigrants are eligible for stimulus checks and access to health care, regardless of their immigration status — and provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship.

“We at the National Immigration Law Center remain committed to fighting for crucial access to health care and other vital supports that will provide all of us with opportunities to thrive.”

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