Rep. Gallego, Espaillat Lead Push to Protect Immigrants Seeking COVID-19 Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) and Representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) led a letter urging Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to expand the current guidelines for Protected Areas Policy to include COVID-19 medical centers and to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation.
“The COVID-19 virus does not discriminate. To better protect our communities we must allow everyone, regardless of immigration status, to safely access the healthcare they deserve. Providing immigrant communities the peace of mind that they can get tested, treated, and vaccinated against Covid-19 without being targeted by ICE is a small step we can take to better protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors from COVID-19 and put an end to this pandemic,” said Rep. Gallego.
“Immigrant communities are at the foundation of what keeps this nation moving forward. They are our essential workers, healthcare workers, small business owners, and farmworkers – countless of whom put their lives on the line as our nation came to a standstill as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They deserve to live free of fear when seeking the care they require and deserve,” said Rep. Espaillat.
“Currently, the new DHS guidelines include ‘medical treatment and healthcare facilities’ as protected areas. We believe it is of great importance that this includes the specific addition of Covid-19 Medical Centers,” the members wrote. “This must encompass any location or facility where SARS-CoV-2 testing, treatment, or vaccines are administered. During the most severe public health crisis of our generation, we must do everything in our power to help people receive the testing and treatment they need to remain healthy and contain the spread of the virus, rather than deter them from doing so.
At this crucial time in our nation’s history, we must place humanity and the common good above all else. Adding COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination centers to the Protected Areas policy is an opportunity to encourage all residents of the United States to seek testing, vaccinations, and care, regardless of their immigration status. This will serve as a desperately needed improvement to the humanity of immigration practices in our country and is far more in the interest of our communities than cruel immigration enforcement that counteracts both science and our national values,” the letter concludes.
In addition to Reps. Espaillat and Gallego, this letter was signed by Representatives Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Dina Titus (NV-01), Albio Sires (NJ-08), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-14), Grace Meng (NY-06), and James P. McGovern (MA-02).
You can read the full letter below:
Dear Secretary Mayorkas:
We are writing to extend our sincere thanks for your implementation of Protected Areas Policy as a portion of the updated Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “Guidelines for Enforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas” for Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Protections for these locations will ensure a level of justice and decency in immigration enforcement that has been sorely missing in the past. While this is a welcomed step, we ask that you expand the policy guidelines to explicitly include COVID-19 medical centers. This inclusion would address an ongoing area of concern for our communities as we continue to navigate the global health pandemic.
Since 2017, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has made protecting sensitive locations (referred to in the new guidelines as protected areas) a priority. The legislative iteration of this measure, the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, has been sponsored by Congressman Espaillat and continues to receive broad support from Members of Congress. We appreciate your decision to advance provisions established in the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act while creating new DHS policy and look forward to working with you to broaden its scope to include COVID-19 medical centers.
Currently, the new DHS guidelines include “medical treatment and healthcare facilities” as protected areas. We believe it is of great importance that this includes the specific addition of Covid-19 Medical Centers. This must encompass any location or facility where SARS-CoV-2 testing, treatment, or vaccines are administered. During the most severe public health crisis of our generation, we must do everything in our power to help people receive the testing and treatment they need to remain healthy and contain the spread of the virus, rather than deter them from doing so.
This is particularly critical because undocumented immigrants face a high risk of exposure to the Coronavirus because of their significant representation in the essential workforce. According to statistics released by the University of California- Berkeley,3 undocumented individuals account for approximately half of the farm workers in this country- a job that is impossible to delay or move to a remote setting in order to protect its workers from the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Additionally, undocumented individuals are commonly employed in industries such as childcare, food service, healthcare, and delivery, all of which place them at a heightened risk as well. As these essential workers put their safety on the line to help our country each day, we must work to protect them.
At this crucial time in our nation’s history, we must place humanity and the common good above all else. Adding COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination centers to the Protected Areas policy is an opportunity to encourage all residents of the United States to seek testing, vaccinations, and care, regardless of their immigration status. This will serve as a desperately needed improvement to the humanity of immigration practices in our country and is far more in the interest of our communities than cruel immigration enforcement that counteracts both science and our national values.
Thank you for consideration of our request, we look forward to working together to improve our great nation’s immigration system.