Vulnerable populations
Immigration
Send the Physicians for Human Rights briefing and recommendations on responding to COVID while protecting immigrants in detention at the border to your elected officials.
Sample Letter here
You can reach out to your representatives here
Sign this open letter from medical professionals to ICE urging the shutdown and release of immigrants in detention centers given they are especially vulnerable to contracting COVID.
Contact Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf to advocate for release of all immigrants in ICE detention due to risk of remaining in detention during the pandemic:
Over 30,000 people are currently being held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and are living in overcrowded or confined settings, unable to “self-quarantine” or to exercise the “social distancing” advised by health authorities. They face extremely high risks from a worsening COVID-19 outbreak. PHR Asylum Network members, utilizing their public health expertise and deep knowledge of immigration detention conditions, have been working diligently to support legal efforts to release immigrant detainees by providing expert declarations. PHR is demanding that state and federal authorities address the acute vulnerability of people in detention centers by urgently releasing people in detention.
Juvenile justice
This petition was started by physicians and being circulated by the National Juvenile Defender Center advocating for protection of incarcerated youth during the pandemic.
Poverty
***Time Sensitive: Urge President Trump to extend comment deadline on proposal to redefine measurement of poverty given the pandemic- the current deadline is 4/14***
Read more about the current proposal here and submit a comment at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/02/14/2020-02858/request-for-comment-on-considerations-for-additional-measures-of-poverty
Petition for extension of the comment deadline here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/comment-today-now-is-not-the-time-to-change-the-definition-of-poverty/
Homelessness
Read the Homelessness and COVID-19: Considerations and Action Steps briefing prepared by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, the National Association of Community Health Centers, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and United Healthcare Community and State. Then, call your representatives and advocate! The document is already really well-worded for an advocacy call (you can literally read the bullet points of your choosing):
Briefing: https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/United_COVID-19-Homelessness1.pdf