Florida Democrats joined forces this week to direct a letter to the Biden administration, asking the administration “to reduce barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine for undocumented and seasonal & migrant farmworkers.” The lawmakers who penned the letter to President Joe Biden (D) are Florida Reps. Ted Deutch (D), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), Darren Soto (D) and Lois Frankel (D).
My letter with @repdwstweets @reploisfrankel @repdarrensoto urging the Biden Admin to reduce barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine for undocumented and seasonal & migrant farmworkers here: pic.twitter.com/0lqONaGQyY
— Rep. Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) April 14, 2021
A number of lawmakers have also made calls to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), asking him to loosen the state residency requirements needed in order to receive vaccinations. On Twitter, Rep. Wasserman Schultz expressed that “keeping all Floridians safe in a pandemic means kicking down vaccination roadblocks for our most vulnerable residents,” adding that “as vaccine access open to all adults nationally, we must ensure stringent residency documents don’t hinder our larger mission: safer and healthier communities.”
Keeping all Floridians safe in a pandemic means kicking down vaccination roadblocks for our most vulnerable residents. As vaccine access opens to all adults nationally, we must ensure stringent residency documents don’t hinder our larger mission: safer and healthier communities. https://t.co/hHiukE0bI4
— Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (@RepDWStweets) April 14, 2021
In the letter sent to the President, the Democrat lawmakers explain that “undocumented immigrants and migrant and seasonal farmworkers have been among the most vulnerable and hardest-hit by COVID-19 and they are valued members of our community.” Specifically, they argue that “proof of residency is more likely to exacerbate problems with equity, access, and public health by denying otherwise eligible individuals from receiving the COVID-19 shot.”
Sharing that “nearly 1 million immigrants. And migrant workers across our state… have reportedly struggled to get a dose,” the lawmakers call on President Biden “to immediately end proof of residency requirements at federally-supposed vaccine sites and continue to support pop-up vaccination sites in under-resourced communities.”
