People's Action and Coalition on Human Needs Launch National "Shared Prosperity" Week of Action to Win Immigrant Justice

People's Action and the Coalition on Human Needs today launched a national week of action to urge Congress to include a pathway to citizenship for young Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, essential workers, and their families, in any economic recovery legislation that moves forward via budget reconciliation. Themed, Shared Prosperity: With Immigrants We Rise, the week of action will focus on addressing economic inequality through immigration and is being organized in conjunction with the We Are Home campaign. It will consist of events targeting senators in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Maine in addition to a letter sent to Congress and online actions.

"Immigrants continue to be the pillars of our communities and our economy, despite people in power blocking them from getting support and ignoring their dignity," People's Action Senior Strategist Mehrdad Azemun said. "This pandemic has proven that we're all connected, and we need to look out for each other. That's why we need to include a pathway to citizenship in our next recovery bill and ensure that everyone can get the benefits and protections they need and deserve."

"Immigrants have placed themselves in danger all through the pandemic to provide our food, protect our health, and keep our economy going," Executive Director of the Coalition on Human Needs Deborah Weinstein said. "They are essential community members, and we will all gain when they have a pathway to citizenship. That's why people nationwide will stand with immigrants in a week of action we're calling 'Shared Prosperity - With Immigrants We Rise.' We're telling Congress we all prosper when our immigrant neighbors receive justice."

Specifically, the week of action includes:

• Phonebank to U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., with People's Action member organization LUCHA

• Vigil at the office of Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., led by People's Action member organization Colorado People's Alliance

• Immigrant Virtual Summit with People's Action member organization PLAN in Nevada

• Summit to pressure Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, with People's Action member organization Maine People's Alliance

• Letter to Congress led by Coalition on Human Needs and People's Action

• Online activism including a tweetstorm on 8/11 at 2 p.m. Eastern, action portal, and blog posts

BACKGROUND:

An estimated five million undocumented immigrants, including 202,500 DACA recipients and 131,300 TPS holders, serve our country everyday as essential workers. Nearly 20 percent of all undocumented essential workers work in the essential retail sector, including in restaurants and grocery stores. Over 400,000 are healthcare workers, serving us and our loved ones as doctors, nurses, and home health aides, or working in key jobs that keep health care settings up and running. About 660,000, nearly 12 percent, are in the essential services industry, which includes landscaping and child care service. Undocumented essential workers have stepped up to serve our country in a time of crisis and should be able to apply for U.S. citizenship.