In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, Congress passed legislation to expand unemployment benefits, distribute cash payments, support small businesses, and provide resources and assistance to many working families. Although this is an important first step that will begin to help millions, the legislation fails to ensure health coverage for ALL families. 

TRP applauds bipartisan champions Chairman Marco Rubio and Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez on the inclusion of the  Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act, which provides more than $377 billion in relief for small businesses and nonprofits to meet their payroll and expenses. The Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act is Division A of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

 “The Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act of the CARES Act will keep immigrant owned businesses alive and everyone who works for those businesses will keep their paycheck, this is a huge win for our communities, ” said Raul I. Raymundo, CEO of The Resurrection Project

However, this bill has left out millions of immigrant taxpayers without the financial assistance they need. This includes U.S. citizen children whose parents are ITIN holders. Immigrants regardless of their immigration status, contribute greatly to the US economy and its social fabric.

This bill does not provide enough access to assistance, testing and treatment for millions of immigrant families. COVID-19 does NOT discriminate based on race, age, gender or immigration status. Failure to protect everyone undermines the health and safety of families across the country. TRP calls on Congress to ensure that future legislation includes access to testing, treatment and financial assistance for everyone regardless of immigration status.

In the coming days we will be speaking to our community about the impacts of this bill.