The federal response to the COVID-19 crisis, including the Families First and the CARES Acts, left many low- and moderate-income immigrants out of the public health and stimulus policies. This exclusion threatens the well being of immigrants, their families - which include millions of U.S. citizen children - and our communities as a whole. This omission will greatly undermine the nation’s ability to overcome this unprecedented crisis.
The federal response to the COVID-19 crisis, including the Families First and the CARES Acts, left many low- and moderate-income immigrants out of the public health and stimulus policies. This exclusion threatens the well being of immigrants, their families - which include millions of U.S. citizen children - and our communities as a whole. This omission will greatly undermine the nation’s ability to overcome this unprecedented crisis.
While the CARES Act was a strong start, we are deeply concerned that children in mixed-immigration status families (those with both citizen and noncitizen members) have been excluded from critical relief. These children comprise one in four of all children in the United States, and the vast majority are U.S. citizens. It is simply unacceptable to leave them out of the COVID-19 response. Doing so will not only put more children at risk of falling into poverty but also greatly undermine our nation’s ability to overcome this crisis.
The Children’s Defense Fund’s commitment to protecting all children and families is more important now than ever. We are quickly adapting to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 public health emergency with urgency and impact.
Those disproportionately impacted by this crisis were either completely left out of the previous relief packages or have additional, critical needs that must be addressed in Congress’ next response to the COVID-19 crisis. We cannot allow this crisis to continue to exacerbate existing disparities, hit our most vulnerable children the hardest, and cause lasting harm.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, citing coronavirus concerns, is removing unaccompanied children to countries where they fear violence and persecution. This is deeply troubling, and it is also a violation of children’s legal rights under federal law.
Congress’ third bill responding to the impacts of COVID-19, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was a necessary but incomplete step forward in the fight to ensure the needs of children and families are met in the midst of this pandemic.