At the end of February, the Trump administration began enforcing the “public charge” rule, after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling lifted an injunction preventing its implementation. That same week, the first death from COVID-19 – a form of coronavirus – was reported in the United States.

The public charge rule gives immigration officials the ability to deny the applications of people applying for Lawful Permanent Residence (LPR) who have or are likely to use certain public benefits – including Medicaid.

Jonnelle Rodriguez is a Licensed Social Worker at the American Friends Service Committee in New Jersey who provides case management services to immigrants in the community.

 The only way to survive is to take care of each other. — Grace Lee Boggs

We are all scrambling to adjust to rapidly changing circumstances as we attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19—and it can feel stressful, scary, and overwhelming. But the moment we are in right now can also serve as an important reminder to us all that if we all commit to our collective shared well-being, we all benefit. We are literally all in this together. 

In early March, the Colorado General Assembly passed a bipartisan bill that would bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from arresting people at courthouses—an important step in keeping immigrants, their families, and all community members safe. The governor has since signed it into law.