NoHLA is partnering with El Centro de la Raza and Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) with support from ACLU of Washington to advocate for health equity for immigrants. Many public health coverage programs include immigration status restrictions, which excludes many people from accessing these vital programs. The COVID-19 public health emergency has made it clear that immigrant communities and people of color need better access to health care coverage and services. We have come together to work with community leaders and impacted community members to learn more about the health care needs in the community and what should be prioritized for new coverage programs and services. 

The campaign has three focus areas:

• Education. We will conduct workshops and trainings about existing health care access programs and services.
• Identifying gaps. We will work alongside community leaders and impacted community members to identify the most urgent gaps in care and services via focus groups and surveys (i.e., WAISN statewide healthcare access survey and El Centro South King County community needs assessment).
• Policy/legislative initiatives. We will use community-identified priorities to shape policy agendas and propose legislation. We will work with community leaders and impacted community members to communicate these priorities to elected officials and policy makers.

Interested in learning more or getting involved? Contact huma@nohla.org.

-Huma Zarif, NoHLA Staff Attorney