Don't Be Stupid- Don't Deport DACA Health Care Wor...

Choosing Democracy: Don't Be Stupid- Don't Deport DACA Health Care Wor...: Opinion Don’t Deport DACA Health Care Workers  If the Supreme Court affirms the administration’s termination of DACA, thousands of v...

New data from the Center for American Progress reveals that the DACA-recipient health care work force includes more than 6,000 diagnosing and treating practitioners, including respiratory therapists, physicians assistants and nurses; some 8,000 health aides, including nursing assistants and orderlies; more than 7,000 other health care support workers; and some 5,500 health technologists and technicians.

The Association of American Medical Colleges told the Supreme Court that nearly 200 physicians, medical students and residents depend on DACA for their ability to practice medicine and serve their communities. Those 200 trainees and physicians alone would care for hundreds of thousands of patients per year in normal times — the association estimates as many as 4,600 patients per year, per person. Under the demands of the Covid-19 pandemic, those numbers will be much higher.

The Center for Migration Studies found that 43,500 DACA recipients work in the health care and social-assistance industries, including more than 10,000 in hospitals.

If the Supreme Court upholds the decision to terminate DACA, nearly 700,000 people — including those health care workers — will lose their ability to work and live in the United States. The administration is preparing to deport DACA recipients and has repeatedly stated that it will do so if the Supreme Court gives it the green light, something that could happen as soon this coming Monday, April 6. There are many reasons for the Supreme Court to hold the administration’s decision invalid, and the pandemic confirms those flaws.

Donate to assist the undocumented

Hope all of you are staying safe and healthy during this pandemic. 

As you know two of the most impacted groups of this pandemic is our undocumented and asylum seeking families. Many who work in the service and hospitality industry have lost their jobs and do not qualify for unemployment insurance benefits or other government assistance programs. NorCal Resist has been receiving many panic calls from our undocumented and asylum seeking families seeking assistance with paying rent and utilities and groceries. Although we can provide the full rent, we have been helping with a portion of it and a few groceries. We have received over 200 calls from throughout California from Los Angeles, Bay Area, Central Valley, all the way to the Oregon Border.  Although we would like to help everyone, we are an all volunteer organization with a small budget, therefore, limiting assistance to those in the Greater Sacramento Area. In our first week we have assisted over 50 families.

We anticipate the need to double in the next two weeks and want to be ready to help as many families as possible.  Here is where you can help us. 

Please donate to NorCal Resist’s relief fund: https://tinyurl.com/NCRFund

Also, please SHARE it with your networks. All donations are tax deductible. All proceeds raised go towards assisting our most vulnerable families.

If you have any questions, please call me 916-949-9506.

In Solidarity,
Ruth Ibarra
Autumn Gonzalez 

Provide Aid To Farm Workers

ACT NOW: Farm Workers left out  of COVID-19 federal aid What would Cesar Chavez say? E-mail your Congressmembers today. The 3 trillion dollar COVID-19 stimulus package was signed last week. These funds will help many families, but leaves many farm workers out. There are 9.5 billion dollars headed for the agricultural sector and it's unclear if any of those funds will support farm workers taking risks to put food on our tables. At least 50% of farm workers are undocumented, so they won't get the relief payment most other households will. Most are still laboring in the fields, feeding America during this pandemic. They are facing huge new economic burdens and risks. Please take action to help them. Undocumented farm workers pay taxes, but they are left out of the stimulus check the rest of us are eligible to receive. Even their US citizen children are left out.  They are told they are essential workers, but they are not receiving essential benefits. They are putting themselves at risk on a daily basis by going out to the fields harvesting our food. Many are unable to practice social distancing as it is not possible with their work. Because of COVID-19, masks are a rare commodity, so some farm workers are put at additional risk of Valley Fever or other illnesses by not having masks that are supposed to be provided. These low wage workers are being forced to deal with huge economic expenses. Childcare for one. For farm worker families, both the mother and father are usually working just to break even. All of a sudden they need to face the economic challenge of their children being home instead of in school. This means many of these low wage workers, who are exempt from “Stay at Home” orders, have to pay for unexpected childcare. One vegetable worker shared his child care costs went from $100/week to $220/week, as besides his 4-year-old he now has to pay for childcare expenses for his 6, 9, and 11-year-olds. When you are making $500 a week and live in one of the most expensive counties in CA, this additional expense is overwhelming. Not only that, but there is the burden of home schooling and the cost of school supplies for their children.  Farm workers are also dealing with panic buying. Because farm workers are working in the fields during the day, they can't stand in line when the stores open. By the time farm workers get to the store at the end of the day, the store is often out of basic foods. The alternative is local small stores which often price gouge and force farm workers to pay even more to keep their families fed. In addition, farm workers are facing extra transportation costs. Some companies are requiring workers not to carpool during COVID-19. Plus many workers desperately want to social distance vs. being in an enclosed and crowded car or bus.  Something has to be done. We are depending on farm workers to keep our supermarket shelves full. It's time that Congress take care of the farm workers who are keeping us fed. Tell Congress to provide hazard pay for these workers who are now working in a dangerous environment and dealing with huge additional expenses.  As Cesar Chavez said, "It's ironic that those who till the soil, cultivate and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance have nothing left for themselves." Essential workers deserve essential benefits. Please take action today.  PS: After you take action you can also share this campaign on Facebook & Twitter.

Congressman Garamendi,  Thank you for your work on the recent Covid-19 stimulus bill.  These funds will help many families, but  also leaves many farm workers out. There are 9.5 billion dollars headed for the agricultural sector and it's unclear if any of those funds will support farm workers taking risks to put food on our tables. At least 50% of farm workers are undocumented, so they won't get the relief payment most other households will. Most are still laboring in the fields, feeding America during this pandemic. They are facing huge new economic burdens and risks. Please take action to help them. Undocumented farm workers pay taxes, but they are left out of the stimulus check the rest of us are eligible to receive. Even their US citizen children are left out. They are told they are essential workers, but they are not receiving essential benefits.They are putting themselves at risk on a daily basis by going out to the fields harvesting our food. Many are unable to practice social distancing as it is not possible with their work. Because of COVID-19, masks are a rare commodity, so some farm workers are put at additional risk of Valley Fever or other illnesses by not having masks that are supposed to be provided. We are depending on farm workers to keep our supermarket shelves full. It's time that Congress take care of the farm workers who are keeping us fed. Please develop legislation to provide these essential workers with hazard wages,  these workers are now working in a dangerous environment and dealing with huge additional expenses.  As Cesar Chavez said, "It's ironic that those who till the soil, cultivate and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance have nothing left for themselves." Essential workers deserve essential benefits.  Cordially, Dr. Duane E. Campbell,  For LULAC Council 2862. Sacramento area.  PO box 162790, Sacramento,  95816 www.sacramentolulac.org

Resources for workers

Note: The undocumented were excluded from most of the stimulus.  See the post from LULAC below.

Stimulus Bill Leaves out the Undocumented. Call Now !!

As you may be aware of, a $2 trillion “COVID-19 Relief bill” is making its way through Congress to provide support to working Americans which will include $1,200 checks for every adult, $500 for children, compensation to small business owners and increased unemployment compensation to laid off workers.

Unfortunately, the undocumented immigrant community is not covered in the proposal put forth by the U.S. Senate. We need your help to stand up and defend ALL members of our community now and support the US House bill "Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act".

Please call/email your member of Congress to make sure that the 11 million undocumented immigrant community is protected during this crisis and ask them to support the U.S. House bill which includes protections for ALL workers. We must demand that all families regardless of status are protected in this legislation. Find your member’s contact information HERE.

Below are some talking points to use when you call today:

1. Workers first, family first, means that all communities should have access to testing and treatment.
2. It is reckless to our nation’s public health to exclude immigrant families from access to testing, medical services, and financial relief. The needs and health of all workers, regardless of immigration status, should be ahead of corporate execs, Wall Street, and 2020 anti-immigrant politics.
3. Our elected officials must ensure any solution against the pandemic protects all families.
4. There has been no other time in American history when our nation has needed to ensure that all families - regardless of immigration status - are protected and prioritized.
5. There are millions of immigrant families who are at the frontlines of combatting the impacts of the pandemic. From food and agriculture workers to home and health care workers, Dreamers, TPS-holders, and immigrant workers and families - regardless of immigration status - are critical to keeping all American communities safe and healthy.

Resources:

• [SEE CAP ANALYSIS] CAP analysis finds that roughly 27,000 DACA recipients are health care practitioners, including physicians. America can’t afford such a loss.
• [SEE CATO REPORT] Millions of immigrants in the U.S. are working every day to defeat the contagion or mitigate its economic effects: On the front lines of this battle are the nearly 1.7 million immigrant medical and health care workers who are caring for COVID-19 patients, over 155,000 immigrant scientists and engineers, a majority of janitorial and cleaning service workers are immigrants, and over 700,000 immigrant workers cultivating and processing a significant portion of America’s food and meat production.
• [SEE CATO REPORT] Nearly 1.5 million immigrants work in delivery, shipping, and trucking, bringing products to households who need them across America.
• [SEE National Agricultural Workers Survey] While most Americans stay at home, farmworkers continue to work since they have been designated as “essential workers” by DHS. Nearly half lack legal work authorization and residency status, making them ineligible for essential benefits that could help them stay home when sick.

Together We Rise,

LULAC Statement on the $2 Trillion Bill

LULAC Statement On $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill To Address Coronavirus Pandemic And Calls For Inclusiveness Of Communities Of Color

Nation’s Oldest & Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Continues to Push Federal Legislators to Ensure that All Workers are Protected, Including Latinos whose Backbreaking Labor Sustains the US Economy

Washington, DC - Today, the League of United Latin American (LULAC) leadership released the following statements on the legislation being negotiated in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate:

“Over the last few weeks we’ve seen that during a time of economic crisis, it is Latino, African American, immigrant and low-income workers across the nation who are disproportionately hurt and in most need,” stated LULAC National President Domingo Garcia. “The legislation being negotiated in the Senate is a step in the right direction to alleviate the economic hardships for millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we are concerned about the farmworkers, undocumented workers, and legal residents who need to get help also. All working people in America -- whose backbreaking labor sustains the entire US economy-- need to be included in all of the unemployment and health protections being negotiated.”

LULAC National CEO Sindy Benavides issued the following statement:

“LULAC applauds the House Democrats’ stimulus plan under the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi for directly addressing the needs of Latinos and all working people in this country. This legislation includes larger cash payments of $1,500 per person, expands unemployment insurance and paid sick leave, offers extra aid for small businesses in grants and interest-free loans to small businesses, including $300 billion in forgivable loans to cover short-term payroll costs, boosts funds to food banks by an extra $450 million, and whatever funds ‘necessary’ to account for more people in need of food stamps, and bans utility providers from cutting off service during the crisis. We will fight alongside House Democrats to ensure America’s working people are not forgotten. We demand that Republican Senators swiftly take action and stop playing politics with people’s lives especially as the death toll increases daily across the country due to COVID-19.”

LULAC has also demanded that the COVID-19 rescue bills being negotiated in Congress include the following:

Small Business Owners:

In the last decade, U.S. Latino-owned companies generated $470 billion in revenue and created 3.2 million jobs. Latino businesses are struggling to stay afloat. The American economy will suffer if Latino owned businesses suffer, many of which are small and medium-sized, are left without the same benefits corporations are poised to receive from a stimulus package.

Low-Wage Earners (Hotel, Restaurant, Hospitality, Cleaning, and other Service/Retail Workers, etc.):

Many low-wage workers in the retail and service industry who earn minimum wage face the difficult decision between risking catching the virus at work with no insurance or staying home without pay. This is not a choice that families should have to make.

Families and Children:

Latinos need aid to address keeping education, childcare, and school meal programs afloat. The impact on students who depend on a free or reduced-price school lunch is stark – we know that nearly 2 out 3 Latino children qualify for these programs. Latino families depend on these school meals to feed their families.

Immigrants:

ICE recently announced that they will scale back enforcement efforts in the U.S. and will not carry out operations at or near health care facilities. LULAC has agreed that ICE should most certainly suspend raids, family separations, end the deportation of DACA recipients, and halt immigration hearings immediately.

The first detained immigrant tested positive for COVID-19 today. Those in ICE detention face great danger at this time. These detention centers can turn into death camps quickly since the spread of the disease is rampant and can easily get out of control. As such, LULAC has called on the Department of Justice to release non-violent detainees older than 50, those who are pregnant, or have underlying conditions such as a weakened immune system or heart or lung disease, on parole.

Farmworkers:

LULAC has called on legislators to represent the interests of all working families, including an estimated two to three million farmworkers who are employed across the United States. Farmworkers and ALL workers should be included in the COVID-19 rescue bills coming out of Congress. Farmworkers, who feed the entire country and world, earn poverty-level wages, work under substandard conditions and face a myriad of health and other issues due to their living and employment conditions.

No Pases la Tos, Pasa la Voz!!!