As immigration reform progresses, nativist politicians falsely accuse immigrants of COVID-19

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Thom Tillis floods Senate budget resolution with anti-immigrant amendments

Immigration took center stage again last week in Washington as Democrats in the U.S. Senate included funding for a proposed path to citizenship for many immigrants in the budget resolution that was approved. Unfortunately, during the process of drafting the legislation, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis proposed nearly 300 amendments, the vast majority of which included anti-immigrant measures.

The amendments proposed by Tillis included several mind-boggling proposals, including one that would have required the mandatory detention of all undocumented immigrants to the United States – a proposal that would manage to be astronomically costly, constitutionally suspect and incredibly inhumane at the same time.

Not surprisingly, Tillis was far from the only right-wing politician to take an anti-immigrant stance last week. As the Senate grappled with the most serious effort to advance immigration reform that we have seen in years, several politicians across the country made a sadly familiar talking point regarding the crisis. of COVID-19: Blaming Immigrants.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and many others have joined in the chorus of those blaming immigrants, especially those crossing the southern border, for the rising number of COVID cases. Never mind that Abbott and DeSantis have fiercely opposed mask warrants – a common sense public health intervention that is almost universally accepted to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

Senator Tillis was one of the early adopters which Hispanics are to blame for the COVID theory, although perhaps ironically in light of his fellow Republican opposition to mask mandates, he cited an accession less consistent with social distancing and wearing a mask to support his claims.

Blaming immigrants for the spread of disease is a well-worn trope in Nativist politics, dating back to the 19th century or before. Nativists have consistently spread the false message that immigrants are unclean, unhealthy, unhealthy, and pose a security risk to Americans. This rhetoric found its way into the first immigration laws our country passed; for example, the Immigration Act of 1891 prohibited the admission to the United States of immigrants suffering from a disgusting or dangerous contagious disease. Variations on this theme have been consistent throughout immigration law since, and aspiring immigrants are still subject to medical examinations and health requirements today.

Ensuring the public health of all residents of the United States, whether immigrants or born in the country, is certainly a laudable goal. But Congress cannot take seriously the public health threat that many of them claim immigrants pose while largely denying these same people access to the health care that citizens enjoy. Even legally present immigrants, including green card holders who followed all the rules and entered the country legally, face huge hurdles when it comes to qualifying for health insurance in the states. -United. Eligible for Medicaid for the first five years, they have green card status, a legacy of tough immigration laws passed with bipartisan support in the 1990s.

Although, fortunately, immigrants with or without status can get tests, treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, and are eligible for treatment for a number of other serious communicable diseases, they still lack the parity of access to health care that citizens have, even when they are here with valid immigration status. Many of them are filling essential worker roles in food production, healthcare and retail and have continued to work in person throughout the pandemic.

The bottom line: Politicians who are really serious about tackling threats to health in the immigrant community should support the HEAL for Immigrant Families Act, which would remove arbitrary delays in accessing care, and also allow immigrants in attendance. legally, such as TPS and DACA holders. to access the Affordable Care Act. Rather than focusing their energy on blaming immigrants and promoting measures that further harm immigrant communities, elected leaders should support access to universal care that promotes the well-being of immigrant citizens and residents. and keep our whole community healthy.

Kate Woomer-Deters is Senior Counsel with the Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project at the North Carolina Justice Center.

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