FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2020

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-805-0375

National Immigration Law Center (NILC) Statement Regarding $2 Trillion COVID-19 Package

WASHINGTON — Late Wednesday evening, the U.S. Senate passed a $2 trillion deal to provide economic relief amidst the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

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

“Senate Democrats fought for key improvements from a prior version of the COVID-19 relief package introduced by Senate Republicans, who are operating with a ‘business as usual’ attitude in prioritizing corporations over people and continuing to demonize and exclude immigrants.

“Nevertheless, this bill still falls woefully short of meeting the most basic health care and economic needs of millions of Americans. Immigrant workers and families who are paying taxes have been cut out from receiving a single dollar. While it provides for crucial unemployment insurance benefits and funding for medical care, the bill shamefully excludes millions of immigrants and their families from coverage for COVID-19 testing and treatment or economic assistance, even as many are on the front lines working to confront the pandemic. It is both reckless from a public health perspective and disgraceful that our congressional leaders are refusing to extend the same relief to immigrant communities, many of whose members will play an essential role in our recovery as a nation.

“With Senate Republicans now planning to leave for a month-long recess, we call on House Democrats to demand that the final legislation include crucial relief for immigrants. Since no other relief package appears imminent, the stakes are high for millions of low-wage workers and immigrants, who also need economic support and access to health care. Any deal that leaves them out jeopardizes us all.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2020

CONTACT
Hayley Burgess, [email protected], 202-805-0375

NILC Reacts to Coronavirus Phase 3 Legislation

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, March 19, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced emergency stimulus legislation to address the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.

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

“The coronavirus phase 3 legislation introduced in the Senate is not a product of bipartisan negotiations. This is another gift to corporations that leaves out millions of tax-paying immigrants, many of whom have family members who are U.S. citizens. Our nation is facing a pandemic that does not discriminate and threatens to wipe out people’s livelihoods and devastate our economy. It is unconscionable that the Republican-controlled Senate continues to play politics with the health and well-being of Americans. We are all at risk when millions are left behind.

“As we grapple with the far-reaching implications of this public health crisis, immigrants are on the front lines delivering groceries, harvesting produce for our meals, working in the health care sector, and caring for our loved ones. Economic stimulus that excludes immigrants who are working and paying taxes leaves us all vulnerable. We look to our leaders in Congress to address this inequality and ensure that any relief package provides help for all members of our community, including the most vulnerable among us.

“Among the most important lessons of this pandemic is that we are all interdependent. This is not a time for partisanship but a time for courageous leaders to unite across party lines for our collective well-being and to ensure that we are all safe, healthy, and have the economic means not only to survive but to thrive.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2020

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

NILC Responds to Enactment of the Families First Act

LOS ANGELES — As communities across the United States take unprecedented measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, President Trump signed a relief package into law today, the Families First Act, that aims to address some of the challenges facing the country in the midst of a global pandemic.

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

“In these difficult and uncertain times, our leaders must ensure that everyone — including low-income immigrants — has access to the resources necessary to mitigate the harmful impacts of this global pandemic. We live in interdependent communities, and it is becoming irrefutable that our personal well-being and futures are intertwined with those of our neighbors, coworkers, and students — many of whom are immigrants on the front lines of the response to this crisis, including as workers in the health care, home care, and food sectors, small business owners, delivery professionals, airport staff, grocery store employees, and others. Ours is the wealthiest nation on the planet; every one of us should have access to health care, nutrition, and economic support as we weather this hardship together.

“The Families First Act is an important first step toward helping millions of families in dire need of relief and will provide much needed paid leave that will be a critical short-term economic lifeline to immigrant workers earning low wages. While we work to address our communities’ immediate needs, much more remains to be done as we ask ourselves: As people risk losing their jobs, homes, businesses, and community spaces, and even as parts of our government close their doors, what new opportunities are we going to create to set ourselves up for a healthier, more inclusive future together?

“This moment requires true leadership and decisive action informed by the best advice of health and science experts and a concern for our collective well-being.  President Trump and his allies in Congress have consistently failed to meet this crisis head on, putting all our lives at risk. At a time when what we need most is clarity, consistency and calm, Trump has offered his usual mix of lies, distraction, and backtracking. He and his enablers have put political expediency over the health and well-being of our people. They have ignored the pleas of public health experts and doctors, and the experience of and lessons learned by countries that were hit by this global crisis before we were. And they have scapegoated immigrants and pointed fingers at other countries instead of taking responsibility.

“Simply put, Trump’s catastrophic failure to lead in this time of crisis will cost many their lives and livelihoods.

“This is a moment for all of us to do our part to take care of ourselves and our loved ones, contribute to building healthier and safer communities, and hold our elected officials accountable. We have clear choices before us that must be made if we are to emerge from this crisis with a healthier, safer, more inclusive society in which we can all thrive.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2020

CONTACT
NILC: Hayley Burgess, [email protected], 202-805-0375
AAAJ – Asian Law Caucus: Sabrina Chin, [email protected], 415-351-9737

No Muslim Ban Ever Coalition Responds to House Decision to Delay Vote on NO BAN Act

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives removed from its calendar a scheduled vote on the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act. The legislation would immediately repeal prior versions of President Trump’s Muslim ban, including the most recent expanded ban that most heavily impacts Africans, one that specifically targets refugees, and one that targets asylum-seekers arriving at the border. It would also change immigration law to prohibit discrimination based on religion and limit the power of this administration or any future president to enact similar bans.

The decision to delay the vote comes as Congress is shifting its attention to a plan to respond to the COVID-19 virus. In response, the coalition’s anchor organizations released the following statements:

Marielena Hincapie, executive director at the National Immigration Law Center, says:
“After three years of Trump’s Muslim ban, we know that any delay furthers the harm done to Muslim-American families and communities who have already suffered significantly. We remain steadfast in our commitment to seeing the bill through in its complete, unaltered form. We urge members of Congress who have championed the bill and House leadership to continue to publicly commit to this as well. The Trump administration has demonstrated a reckless and cruel abuse of power by issuing bans that target Muslims, Africans, refugees, and asylum-seekers for the sole purpose of shutting out communities of color, fulfilling Trump’s signature and racist campaign promises. When our representatives return from recess, it is crucial that they make this a priority and immediately schedule a vote to pass the NO BAN Act. The time to act is now.”

Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco-Bay Area chapter of the Council on  American-Islamic Relations, states:
“Though disappointing, the delay in voting on the NO BAN Act  will not undermine our work with our partners in Congress, the presidential campaigns, and grassroots communities to overcome Donald Trump’s bigoted immigration agenda. This has gone on far too long, separating families, slowing access to medical care, undercutting academic and professional opportunities, all while propagating xenophobia. We call on Congress to move quickly to reschedule this vote and pass the NO BAN Act. Our communities, their constituents, expect no less.”

Linda Sarsour, executive director of MPower Change, states:
“For years we’ve organized, shared our stories, and made sure our calls to repeal the ban were heard. From the moment the first Muslim ban was issued, to last month’s expansion, our Muslim and immigrant communities have continued to lead us all towards the passing of legislation that can repeal this racist ban once and for all. Despite today’s decision to delay the NO BAN Act vote, we will continue to build with House leadership to ensure it passes without any weakening amendments in the coming weeks, and we will continue to rally around those in our Muslim, immigrant, and African communities who face the burden of this horrific ban daily.”

Aarti Kohli, executive director representing Asian Americans Advancing Justice, states:
“While we applaud the efforts of House members supporting the NO BAN Act, let us not forget that with each passing day, families continue to be separated unjustly from their loved ones, those needing urgent medical care continue to suffer, and those fleeing persecution continue to be denied refuge. Our communities have waited long enough. Any delay in the House vote further deepens the suffering of our Muslim and immigrant communities. Conflating a public health concern with a xenophobic immigration policy only mirrors the very racism and Islamophobia the Muslim ban was premised on. It is critical that House members pass the NO BAN Act to stop the assault on our Muslim and immigrant neighbors as soon as possible. Separated families depend on it.”

About No Muslim Ban Ever Coalition (NMBE)
The #NoMuslimBanEver campaign, endorsed by over 200 organizations, represents a diverse community of Muslim, Arab, and South Asian organizations and allies in progressive, faith, immigrant, asylum, refugee, and civil rights sectors who came together in response to the Trump administration’s persistent efforts to ban individuals from Muslim-majority countries as part of its larger xenophobic, white nationalist agenda of exclusion. Please visit www.NoMuslimBanEver.com for more information.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2020

CONTACT
Hayley Burgess, [email protected], 202-805-0375

NILC Statement on House of Representatives’ Delay of Vote on NO BAN Act

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives removed from its calendar a scheduled vote on the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act.

The legislation would immediately repeal prior versions of President Trump’s Muslim ban, including the most recent expanded ban that most heavily impacts Africans, one that specifically targets refugees, and one that targets asylum-seekers arriving at the border. It would also change immigration law to prohibit discrimination based on religion and limit the power of this administration or any future president to enact similar bans.

Avideh Moussavian, legislative director at the National Immigration Law Center, released the following statement:

“For over three years, this administration has demonstrated a reckless and cruel abuse of power by issuing bans that have targeted Muslims, Africans, refugees, and asylum-seekers for the sole purpose of shutting out communities of color and fulfilling Trump’s signature and racist campaign promise to shut out Muslims.

“This decision to delay repealing the ban in all of its iterations will further that harm, which is why it is crucial that House leadership continue to publicly commit to bringing the NO BAN Act to a vote immediately after the congressional recess. Although we are disheartened by the decision to delay the vote, we remain steadfast in our commitment to working with members of Congress to ensure that the NO BAN Act is passed in its current form, without any changes.

“The time to act is now.”

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