WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today Senate Republican leaders proposed COVID-19 relief bills that omit key provisions. The following is a statement from Ali Noorani, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum:
“Republican leaders continue to fail to fully protect immigrants, who are affected disproportionately and often are on the front lines of the COVID-19 response.
“Some Republican senators were ready to include relief for mixed-status families, but it appears that leadership would not or could not advance that relief for U.S. citizens. The immigration status of a family member should not exclude U.S. citizen spouses and children from assistance.
“The bills appear not to address worker shortages in health care, by means such as the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act.
“Meanwhile, Senate leaders propose to fully fund Customs and Border Protection but merely provide loans to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — and institute a surcharge on already high fees to help make up the difference. That’s a sad statement about their priorities.”
“America hoped for better. America should expect better.”
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