Coronavirus Food Security Efforts for
Immigrant Californians 


We are all in this together . We stand with immigrant families and continue to advocate policy changes that ensure the health and well-being of ALL Californians. During this public health crisis and beyond, immigrant Californians should have equitable access to food resources and other vital services.



The COVID-19 public health crisis arrived in the United States, when immigrant health was already under attack by the federal administration's anti-immigrant policies, like public charge, which is depressing immigrant participation in Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and other public programs. At the same time ICE continues to operate: taking individuals from their families and communities into detention centers, where poor living conditions put them at risk for COVID-19 infection while they await potential deportation. Amid these tensions, many of our immigrant families, friends, and neighbors now face reduced wages, job loss, and other hardships caused by this COVID-19 pandemic. Congress has passed and proposed legislation to aid individuals and families in this time of crisis. While these efforts provide some households, many more immigrants are left out. 

Here are some food resources do not take immigration status into account.  

  • "Grab and Go" School Meals
    All children, regardless of age or immigration status, can receive "grab and go" meals during school and child care closures. 
    Parents/guardians are able to pickup meals without the need to have children present. 
     
    For more on how California schools are responding to the crisis, see  
  • Pandemic EBT
     
    The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), signed into law March 18th, allows states to implement Pandemic EBT. Under the program, families whose children are eligible to receive free or reduced priced meals and whose schools have closed due to COVID-19 will receive an EBT card loaded with the cash value of the meals their children would have received at school. Immigration status is not a factor in qualifying for the program. 

    State administrators are working to establish Pandemic EBT in California. We will provide updates as they come.  
  • Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) 
    WIC provides healthy meals and support services for pregnant women, new parents, and children under 5. WIC services are safe, do not ask for immigration status, and are not considered under the new public charge test. This means immigrant families affected by this crisis can use WIC without fear it will impact their immigration status. 

    During this crisis, WIC locations have new procedures to help families get benefits as quickly as possible.  To learn more about these and other flexibilities, see Resources for Young Children
What about Public Charge?

On February 24th, the federal government implemented its  public charge rule. While the change technically impacts a small number of immigrants who receive public benefits, fear of negative immigration consequences might still discourage others from seeking services in this time of crisis.

New guidance  released by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) states  that prevention, testing, or receiving treatment for COVID-19 will not be considered under the new public charge test. Additionally, USCIS states that immigrants will have an opportunity to present evidence that their receipt of public assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic is not an accurate indication of their ability to support themselves under normal circumstances.  This means immigrants can seek support during this crisis without fear it will impact their immigration goals.

For more information on the new public charge test and accessing healthcare during COVID-19, please visit the  National Immigration Law Center's  Access to Healthcare page

Advocacy Opportunities
A Safety Net that Works for Everyone
Many immigrants are on the frontlines as grocery workers, janitors, truck drivers, and port workers helping us put food on our tables, and they deserve the same ability. Immigration status should not be the reason t hese essential workers and their families go hungry during the coronavirus pandemic. 

COVID-19 Relief Bill Packages
While the  Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) includes many important provisions, it excludes many immigrant workers from receiving health care for the treatment of COVID-19 or one-time cash payments. In order to receive this payment, all household members must have a Social Security Number. This means mixed-status families, which include U.S. citizen children, who work and pay taxes will not receive aid. 

We stand with state and national immigrant rights organizations, and urge Congress to pass a COVID-19 relief package that safeguards the physical and economic well being of all immigrants, regardless of immigration status. 

For the latest on federal responses to COVID-19, please visit our   Federal Updates page

Food for All 
The COVID-19 public health emergency highlights the critical importance of nutrition assistance programs -- at the same time it exposes the gap in coverage for millions of Californians who are ineligible for CalFresh due to their immigration status. 

We look forward to working with our state legislators and the Governor to address food insecurity among immigrant Californians during and after this crisis. Absent federal action to address the nutritional needs of ALL immigrants, California must step up to ensure no Californian goes hungry.

For more on challenges and opportunities to increase food access for immigrant Californians, please read the final report of the Food for All Stakeholder Workgroup


Resources for Immigrants
Our partners at the California Immigrant Policy Center compiled this guide to help connect immigrants to whatever assistance they need during this crisis.
 

Questions? 
Contact Betzabel Estudillo  betzabel@cfpa.net or Gabby Tilley gabby@cfpa.net.