Announcing Immigrant Emergency Relief Fund

I wish I had better news at a time when everyone is feeling anxiety, isolation, and fear about what’s yet to come because of the coronavirus pandemic. This pandemic is hitting hard, and it’s hitting some of us much harder than others. Failures in our safety net are now painfully apparent, disproportionately impacting the poor, immigrant families, and people of color. It’s important that community members and political leaders understand the impact of the crisis on our immigrant neighbors and provide needed assistance.In addition to adapting to working remotely, our staff are busy responding to an uptick in requests from clients seeking help because of job loss. Most immigrants work as day laborers, in service industries like hotels and restaurants, and seasonal agricultural work. Even in the best of economic times they lack job security. During the COVID-19 crisis, they are the first to be laid off.The recent $2 trillion federal aid package leaves out millions of undocumented workers, even though they collectively pay billions of dollars in taxes. Without access to unemployment benefits or other forms of relief, immigrant families won’t be able to pay rent or put food on the table. They are incredibly vulnerable to housing insecurity. And because they are often doubled and tripled up with extended family, they are in tight quarters and very susceptible to contracting the coronavirus and getting sick.In addition to loss of income and jobs, and ineligibility for unemployment benefits for most, our clients are afraid to seek healthcare or help with basic needs because of their immigration status. ICE doesn’t stop for COVID-19 and immigration courts remain open for deportation proceedings. Many of our clients are still fearful that they will be separated from their families. On top of all this, USCIS plans to double immigration application fees during the crisis.We cannot allow immigrants to be forgotten in this crisis. To ensure we can continue to provide legal assistance and representation, and to help with court fees, ICS is launching the Emergency Immigrant Relief Fund.According to our community partners in Albany, where we recently launched a second rural mobile legal clinic, “Now more than ever, this essential service is needed in our communities. Immigrants are among the most vulnerable and susceptible to victimization. Misinformation about the pandemic is abundant and we are seeing clients who are confused about what to believe and who are being mistreated by unscrupulous businesses and landlords. Their very lives depend upon the legal guidance they receive from ICS.”Funds from the Emergency Immigrant Relief Fund will be used to ensure the ongoing availability of skilled immigration attorneys and to provide relief for clients who cannot afford court fees. Please contribute what you can today.Mil Gracias,Frank GarciaExecutive Director