JUUstice Washington

A Unitarian Universalist State Action Network

Weekly Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) COVID-19 Response Call

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We invite you to join us to for bi-weekly Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) General Meeting Picture of the COVID-19 cellCovid19 HUB #ImmigrantHealthResponse calls for exciting news and updates!

This is reminder that WAISN will be hosting its weekly COVID-19 Response HUB call September 24th and every Thursday from 3-5 PM over Zoom. Call information below:

#ImmigrantHealthResponse

https://zoom.us/j/775545035?pwd=dlFOWUJMazVwT2tMT29zb2lIOVh1Zz09

Conference Call: +1 669 900 6833

Meeting ID: 775 545 035

Password: 066699

🚨 EXCITING UPDATES 🚨

WHY COME TO A MEETING:

1) WA IMMIGRANT RELIEF FUND: The Washington Immigrant Relief Fund is a result of WAISN statewide organizing vision to build community power. Identifying the need as early as March through our WAISN Hotline, we rapidly began to convene policy conversations on April to address the crises with short and long term solutions. We led this effort while simultaneously supporting grassroots efforts to provide economic relief and assistance to food security working with our partners and members.  We have been centering those directly impacted to demand and win $40M from Governor Inslee to provide further economic relief for this fall.

Eligibility Criteria to Be Consider for the Fund:

  • Are a Washington resident;
  • Are at least 18 years of age;
  • Have experienced hardship due to the pandemic; and
  • Are ineligible to receive unemployment insurance compensation or federal stimulus dollars due to immigration status.

Form of Aid: One-time cash grants in the form of checks, pre-paid cards & electronic checks

Amount of Aid: $1,000 per qualifying adult – $3,000 limit/household

Application Will Open on October 16th – Sign Up Here to Stay Informed: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-up-for-wa-worker-relief-fund-updates

2) IMMIGRANT HEALTH RESPONSE: In partnership with the UW Latino Center for Health, ACLU of Washington, Northwest Health Law Advocates, El Centro De La Raza, & Latinos Promoting Good Health we have launch a statewide survey that will identify further how COVID is impacting and spreading in our communities which will help us identify the blue blueprints of a Healthcare Access Campaign for the 2021 Legislative Session and more.

Would your organization assist us in distributing information about this survey, to ensure that a wide range of immigrant communities in WA can participate?

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE WAISN IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE SURVEY

Migrant workers leave WA farms, risking poverty instead of coronavirus

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The death of two fellow farmers from complications of the virus — Earl Edwards of Jamaica and Juan Carlos Santiago Rincon of Mexico — and what he believed was the overall lack of safety precautions at Gebbers Farm persuaded William to leave the United States in August after only a couple of months. Normally, he would have stayed through to November. Instead, he asked his sister, Shellie-Ann Kerns, who lives five hours away on the small Bunkhouse Acres farm in the Middle Satsop Valley for help in purchasing an airplane ticket back home.

Launched in 1952 under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the H-2A program was meant to help solve what industry leaders described as a domestic labor shortage in agriculture. In Washington state, one of the nation’s top destinations for H-2A workers, growers requested more than 26,000 foreign workers last year. There were a number of growers, however, who canceled their contracts this year, in part due to concerns over the coronavirus and an inability to practice social distancing, resulting in almost 3,000 fewer worker applications, said Norma Chavez of the state Employment Security Department.

Read more here.

WA to create $40M fund for undocumented workers hurt by pandemic

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Undocumented workers who lost income because of the coronavirus pandemic, but were passed over for federal assistance, will finally be getting some help in Washington state, thanks to a new $40 million relief fund.

Gov. Jay Inlsee is setting up the new financial assistance program with cooperation from a broad coalition of immigrant rights organizations, including OneAmerica, the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network and the Washington Dream Coalition.

Read more here.

Global Food Output Runs Into Migrant Worker Woes

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Groups like the Yakima, Washington-based Northwest Horticultural Council are saying they can’t find enough people to pick fruit. The heavily agricultural area has been the epicenter of a breakout in the state. Covid-19 safeguards designed to protect workers have also made it impossible for some farmers to bring in the number of workers they require, according to the council.

Read more here.

Fewer COVID-19 cases in agriculture in Yakima County, but advocates remain concerned

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Farmworker advocates still feel there is cause for concern, namely because farmworkers, especially foreign guest workers, might not feel comfortable speaking out about safety concerns.

During the peak harvest season, the Northwest Justice Project’s farmworker unit does a robust outreach to check in on farmworkers, especially H-2A workers working in guest worker housing.

Such outreach has been much more difficult this year given restrictions due to COVID-19, said Michele Besso, senior attorney for the farmworker unit of the Northwest Justice Project in Yakima. Many housing facilities are limiting visitors.

Read more here.