Supporting Immigrant Communities

Dear Friend,

Immigrants are our friends, our family members, and our neighbors. They are us. Many immigrants are doing the essential work on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. It is deeply troubling that in the middle of the worst public health catastrophe we may ever face, President Trump still refuses to respect the basic human dignity of immigrants, recognize the real contributions that they make, and live up to our true American values.  

It is critical that all of our communities can access the care and resources they need during the coronavirus pandemic. We need to make urgently-needed testing, medical care, and critical economic lifelines provided in coronavirus relief legislation accessible to all communities, regardless of immigration status. This is essential to protecting the well-being of these families and the health of everyone. 

Along with over 100 colleagues in Congress, I called on the Administration to extend the coronavirus cash assistance provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to include immigrant families who file taxes with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN). In 2015 alone, more than 4 million people paid nearly $14 billion in net taxes using an ITIN, according to the American Immigration Council. By excluding ITIN filers and their family members from access to the payments in the CARES Act, spouses and children in mixed-status immigrant families will be denied critical economic support. That includes more than 5 million children, the vast majority of whom are U.S. citizens.

I've called on President Trump to extend the work authorizations for Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients. It's estimated that more than 50,000 Dreamers and TPS recipients work in the health care industry. Many more provide vital services to our communities as educators and first responders. We must support them as they serve our communities. I am also calling on Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to allow colleges and universities to include Dreamers on their campuses as they provide emergency financial aid grants that Congress passed in the CARES Act.

Last month, I led the New Mexico congressional delegation in demanding immediate accountability of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities like the Otero Processing Center. We must ensure the humane treatment of migrants in ICE custody and protect the health and safety of detainees, employees, and surrounding communities.

I have also called for the release of detained children amid the coronavirus pandemic. Children are some of the most vulnerable among us, and we must fulfill our moral and legal obligations to protect their health and safety. There are nearly 2,400 children in Office of Refugee Resettlement's custody. Keeping these children in needlessly prolonged detention and away from their families and sponsors during this time poses immeasurable risk to their lives, the lives of their loved ones, and the lives of workers in their facilities.

In addition, I am leading the bipartisan fight in Congress to demand that President Trump halt construction of his ineffective border wall during this pandemic. The president's wall was already a wasteful use of taxpayer dollars. But during this crisis, we should be prioritizing urgent needs like the emergency public health response and helping small businesses and furloughed workers provide for their families. Pressing forward right now with wall construction also poses an unnecessary threat to the health and safety of families in New Mexico's border communities. Bringing in large groups of construction workers and placing them in cramped living quarters will inevitably risk spreading the virus.

As the son of an immigrant myself, I want to assure you that I will continue to do everything I can to keep fighting for New Mexico's immigrant and border communities. Please stay informed about how to protect your family's health during this pandemic and contact my office if I can be of assistance.

Be well and stay healthy.