Ben Charles regularly calls the immigrant and refugee families he works with to see how they’re doing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Charles is the Syracuse area director for Hopeprint, an organization that aims to unite immigrant and refugee communities and help them navigate their new country. As a refugee himself, Charles remembers how his parents always struggled to receive adequate health care as new Americans.

“They always had to try multiple things before they got to the right answer or the right solution for a problem, especially as it related to getting adequate medical care,” Charles said.

The coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected 288,045 and killed 16,966 in New York state as of Sunday. Onondaga County has 774 confirmed cases of the virus as of Saturday, and 25 people have died.

Data showing how COVID-19 has affected immigrants and refugees in the county is unavailable, but local advocates told The Daily Orange that these communities are facing increased hardship. As the virus spreads, community organizations are working to address barriers preventing immigrants and refugees from receiving adequate health care.

“There’s two questions there—is it possible (to receive health care) and do they know that it’s possible?” said Jessica Maxwell, executive director of the Workers Center of Central New York, a grassroots organization that advocates for immigrant workers.

Language barriers make it especially difficult for immigrant and refugee communities to receive the most up-to-date public health information, Maxwell said. Most of the information that Onondaga County shares is offered only in English, she said.

Lacking internet access can further impede immigrant and refugee families from receiving information about COVID-19, Maxwell said. Many of the families Maxwell works with do not have reliable access to the internet, she said.

Low English proficiency can also present an obstacle to immigrants and refugees trying to file for unemployment benefits, said Frank Ridzi, vice president of community investment at the Central New York Community Foundation, an organization that provides funding to local charities and nonprofits.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered all nonessential workers to stay home until at least May 15 to curb the virus’s spread. Many immigrants and refugees employed in nonessential jobs are now experiencing increased financial strain, which makes affording health care even more difficult, Ridzi said.

“They’re in some of the most vulnerable jobs, they’re the newest Americans,” Ridzi said. “For some of them, the loss of job means the loss of health care.”

The CNY Community Fund is awarding a $7,286 grant to Syracuse Refugee and Immigrant Self-Empowerment (RISE), an advocacy group for immigrants and refugees, to hire more case managers and provide 24/7 hotline assistance to families with limited English proficiency.

After the COVID-19 outbreak began, Syracuse RISE increased its capacity to meet the needs of the community, said Haji Adan, executive director of RISE. The organization set up a 24/7 hotline with staff members available to answer questions in 12 different languages, Adan said.

“Often, (RISE) is the first place members of the refugee and immigrant communities turn to for assistance and for accurate information,” Adan said.

The grant allows RISE to provide immigrants and refugees with accurate information about the unemployment process and help them secure benefits such as food stamps, Adan said.

For undocumented immigrants, fear of law enforcement may deter them from seeking proper medical treatment, Maxwell said. Many might not go to receive testing for the virus because they’re afraid they’ll face detention or deportation, she said.

SUNY Upstate Medical University does not inquire about a patient’s legal or immigration status, said Dr. Andrea Shaw, assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics, in an email. Upstate connects uninsured patients to a registered nurse or case management team to help identify what kind of care they’re eligible for, she said.

“Upstate does not deny care to anyone,” Shaw said. “I do think the situation around COVID is just as anxiety-provoking as seeking care is in general for an undocumented person, who may fear any service that could link them to the law.”

Many undocumented or uninsured patients try to find charity clinics for free care to avoid costly medical bills, Shaw said. These clinics are currently closed, as they are not equipped to handle the current COVID-19 crisis, she said.

“This leaves undocumented patients with the stress of going to the emergency room if and when they need care,” Shaw said.

Syracuse Immigrant and Refugee Defense Network (SIRDN) lists resources available to immigrant and refugee communities on its Facebook page. One resource is a hotline where individuals can connect with an operator in their native language to receive accurate health information.

The Workers Center and SIRDN are hosting Facebook live information sessions in Spanish every Friday, Maxwell said. SIRDN also set up a GoFundMe page that raised over $2,350 in one week, and most of the money has gone toward providing food for immigrant families in need, said Sarah Howard, a volunteer at SIRDN.

“This is a deep, deep irony that the people who grow our food are the most food-insecure people,” Howard said.

Hopeprint has been delivering food, sanitary products and other necessities to families who don’t have means of transportation or are struggling financially, Charles said. He’s also helping immigrants and refugees navigate unemployment, food stamps and the resources available to them.

The responsibility of aiding immigrants and refugees during the COVID-19 outbreak should rest on the government, not just community organizations, Howard said.

“This should not be the work of private citizens,” she said. “This is work that should be done by our government, this is why we pay taxes.”

California recently committed to providing financial relief to undocumented immigrants struggling due to the pandemic. Cuomo said he wouldn’t consider similar measures for New York state at a press briefing Thursday. Doing so would be “irresponsible,” he said.

Charles would like to see local governments focus more on marginalized communities who are struggling during the outbreak. He described the immigrant and refugee community in Syracuse as resilient and courageous, able to endure traumatic moments while still seeing the best in life.

“We’re always highlighting death in numbers and not really highlighting life,” Charles said. “I think refugees remind us that the best of the human spirit is to have hope and look forward to the future always.”

Published on April 27, 2020 at 12:21 pm

Contact Sarah: scalessa@syr.edu | @sarahalessan