Members of the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition are deeply disappointed with the CARES Act. The law left millions of immigrant families out of COVID-19 testing and economic relief.

Congress can fix this. Legislators have introduced a new bill that would ensure access to protection for all families.

These provisions include:

• Ensuring that everyone has access to COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccines by providing Medicaid coverage of COVID-19-related services to everyone, regardless of immigration status.
• Allocating $100 million for the CDC to provide language access and public outreach on coronavirus preparedness, response, and recovery.
• Suspending the public charge rule, in person ICE check-ins, detention and deportation of survivors of domestic violence and trafficking, and immigration enforcement actions in sensitive locations (like hospitals).
• Allowing immigrant taxpayers to access cash relief benefits with an individual tax identification number (ITIN).
• Automatically extending work permits during the national emergency period.

It is unconscionable that so much of the immigrant community has been abandoned by lawmakers during this unprecedented time. Send a message to Maine's congressional delegation today. Urge them to support immigrants in our nation's COVID-19 response and to push for these supports to be added to the next stimulus package.