Annapolis, MD – Members of the immigrant advocacy group CASA presented their legislative priorities for the 2022 Maryland Legislative Session. The activists seek to continue the fight for healthcare expansion and access to counsel for a better Maryland for immigrant families. By focusing on key legislation: Legal Representation in Immigration Proceedings (HB114/SB129), Access to Care Act , and the Healthy Children Equity Act, CASA will also continue fighting for tenants rights, meaningful police reform and equity in education.
“CASA looks forward to working alongside state legislators to uplift the working and immigrant families of Maryland,” said Gustavo Torres, CASA Executive Director. “As the state legislature reconvenes, there is so much work that must be done to support immigrant families. We will fight to ensure that this session does not end without expanding healthcare to those most in need and bringing legal counsel to those facing deportation. Legislators have a responsibility to keep their promise of a brighter future for all, regardless of their status, who call the state of Maryland home.”
CASA Member Ogochukwu has been fighting for expansion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid to all Marylanders regardless of status. She shares, “I went to the emergency room and my blood pressure was over 200. I was almost gone when recently I suffered a hypertensive crisis, a severe increase in blood pressure that can lead to a stroke. I only stayed in the hospital for two days, but I was billed over $23,000 dollars.” She has suffered from difficult health conditions for over seven years without health insurance. This mom worries because she has no one else to love and care for her son should something happen to her.
CASA Priorities for the 2022 Maryland Legislative Session
Healthcare is a human right. Right now, undocumented immigrants, despite paying billions in dollars in federal and state taxes and contributing deeply to every facet of society, are ineligible for healthcare through Medicaid. Ineligibility for this program has left hundreds of thousands of Marylanders without status uninsured, often facing extraordinary health challenges – and in many cases, life or death situations. The Healthy Children Equity Act is a first step toward ending this inequity, by extending Medicaid coverage to ALL pregnant individuals regardless of immigration status.
Healthcare is a human right. Right now, undocumented immigrants, despite paying billions in dollars in federal and state taxes and contributing deeply to every facet of society, are ineligible for healthcare through Medicaid. Ineligibility for this program has left hundreds of thousands of Marylanders without status uninsured, often facing extraordinary health challenges – and in many cases, life or death situations. The Healthy Children Equity Act is a first step toward ending this inequity, by extending Medicaid coverage to ALL pregnant individuals regardless of immigration status.
Countless Marylanders are detained in jails and ICE facilities across the country – and when facing deportation, they do not have a right to a lawyer. We must ensure that all Marylanders who are in detention and facing deportation have access to justice in the form of zealous legal counsel to represent them in removal proceedings. The absence of counsel violates the fundamental principle of due process and deeply harms the immigrant community. This bill will provide state-funded legal representation to detained Marylanders.
Tenants Rights
In addition to emergency protections, a variety of long-term legislative reforms are needed to address the ongoing housing crisis that tenants have faced long before the pandemic. As a member of Renters United Maryland, CASA is fighting to completely overhaul the eviction process and take steps toward affordable housing for all, including legislation to prevent evictions for tenants pending rental assistance and fund legal representation for tenants in eviction court.
Meaningful Police Reform
Black and brown people in Maryland continue to be brutalized, harassed, mistreated – and murdered by the police, without any justice or accountability. As a member of the Maryland Coalition for Justice and Police Accountability (MCJPA), CASA is fighting to continue reimagining the role, presence, and responsibilities of police in Maryland, including removing school police officers from schools, require body-worn cameras to all officers, and ensuring community oversight of the police in Baltimore City..
Equity in Education
CASA is a proud member of the Maryland Alliance for Racial Equity in Education (MAREE). MAREE will continue efforts this session to monitor the implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, push for greater access to data that better serves Black and brown children, improve support for immigrant students, and move toward legislation that will take steps in ending the school-to-prison pipeline.
CASA is a national Latino and immigrant organization serving over 122,000-lifetime members across 46 states. Visit us at www.wearecasa.org and follow us on Twitter at @CASAforall. Visit us at www.wearecasa.org and follow us on Twitter at @CASAforall.
