FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2020
CONTACT: Kathy Melley, 617-791-0708
(BOSTON, MA) -- Today, President Donald Trump announced his plan to suspend all immigration to the United States. This anti-immigration order would only worsen the public health crisis by shutting the door to immigrants who can help – and are helping – take care of people and families in communities across the country. Immigrants are already playing a vital role as frontline staff – working in hospitals, nursing homes and in home care settings caring for COVID-19 patients, as well as doing crucial work in communities so that others can shelter at home. Especially now, in the midst of a pandemic, our government should work to increase and strengthen the health care workforce, and immigrants’ critical role in it. That includes ensuring immigrants have the same access to care and support that everyone in their community has, including coverage for COVID-19 testing, treatment and prevention and financial supports – and in a way that will not negatively impact their current or future immigration status.
Statement of Emily Stewart, executive director of Community Catalyst, in response to this announcement:
“Community Catalyst strongly condemns the Trump administration’s proposed ban on all immigration into the U.S. It’s outrageous and cruel that President Trump is using the COVID-19 public health crisis to carry out his racist and xenophobic anti-immigrant agenda. Yet again, the administration is scapegoating immigrants to distract from Trump’s failure to protect the country from COVID-19 disease. Promoting discriminatory policies like a total ban on immigration is not only divisive and wrong, it’s counterproductive to addressing the perilous health and economic crisis we face.”
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About Community Catalyst
Community Catalyst is a national, non-profit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1998 with the belief that affordable quality health care should be accessible to everyone. We work in partnership with national, state and local organizations, policymakers and philanthropic foundations to ensure consumer interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and the health system are made: in communities, statehouses and on Capitol Hill. For more information, visit www.communitycatalyst.org. Follow us on Twitter @HealthPolicyHub.
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