10 SEPTEMBER 2020
Senate Republicans Exclude Immigrant Families From Accessing Coronavirus Aid, Ignore Critical Need for Broad Relief
Vulnerable Republicans Including Cory Gardner And Martha McSally Remain In Lockstep As Trump And the GOP Disparage Immigrants To Divide And Distract Voters From The Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senate Republicans attempted to advance a woefully inadequate coronavirus relief bill that would slash unemployment benefits for millions of Americans and exclude immigrant families from economic relief. This so-called “skinny bill” comes just a month after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell presented another package that would have funneled $1.6 billion to Customs and Border Protection while refusing to provide relief to U.S. citizens who are married to immigrants. Both GOP proposals fall short in addressing the severity of the ongoing pandemic, yet vulnerable Republicans such as Senators Cory Gardner and Martha McSally remain in lockstep as President Donald Trump and Republicans unleash a slew of anti-immigrant ads in battleground states in an attempt to divide and distract voters from their failed response to the pandemic.
“Again, Senate Republicans have failed to deliver a solution for all families in America as they continue to deflect blame,” said Kerri Talbot, Director of Federal Advocacy at the Immigration Hub. “To add insult to injury, the GOP coronavirus package continues to deny critical economic relief to 7.8 million people, penalizing U.S. citizens simply because someone in their household is an immigrant. It also leaves out protections for DACA and TPS recipients, many of whom are working on the frontlines of relief efforts.”
A majority of Americans support a coronavirus relief package that is inclusive of all families, regardless of immigration status. The House-passed HEROES Act fills major gaps left by prior relief efforts, including health care and economic protections for immigrants and stimulus payments to all tax filers.
Senate Republicans also refused to extend work authorization for DACA and TPS holders as part of their pandemic relief efforts. Failure to include this important provision could have a devastating impact on relief efforts across the country as over 330,000 DACA and TPS holders are working on the frontlines of the pandemic. Without Congressional intervention, many immigrants remain at risk of losing their right to work and live freely due to Trump’s sustained attacks on DACA and TPS. The Trump administration recently issued a new memo to end new applications for DACA and limit renewals of status to one year.
As the coronavirus cases continue to rise in communities across the country, passing a comprehensive and inclusive relief package is critical to addressing this crisis and protecting public health.
With the 2020 campaign season in full swing, Trump and Republicans are focused on their objective to divide and distract voters from their own incompetent handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Recent mailers in several battleground states attempt to scare voters with anti-immigrant messages, including threats of “open borders.” Similarly, Trump’s re-election campaign has deployed an alarming number of ads featuring nativist language designed to disparage and scapegoat immigrants and Black and Brown Americans. Since March, the Trump campaign has spent over $7 million on anti-immigrant ads on Facebook, not including the $10 million YouTube ad campaign, mailers, and the millions more spent by anti-immigrant PACs, such as America First Action Super PAC.
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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.