BALTIMORE — Immigrant advocacy group CASA will hold a rally in Annapolis Thursday to promote several bills that could change the lifestyle of immigrants in Maryland.
CASA is seeking support for three legislative priorities: expanding health care access for immigrants, expanding tenant rights and protections for immigrants, and addressing environmental injustice.
CASA is pushing three bills to address eviction protections for tenants, including immigrants. These bills are intended to prevent landlords from evicting tenants without just cause and to ensure that tenants receive proper notice.
CASA members say migrants often face conflicts with landlords and are forced to live in squalid conditions.
Patricia Baños has lived in Baltimore since 2016. She said her landlord won’t address problems such as insect and rodent infestations, poor heating and air conditioning, and constant leaks.
Baños took photos of his injuries after falling repeatedly due to a leaking roof. One time he fell and was taken to the hospital, where he received 10 stitches in his knee.
Baños told WJZ in Spanish what happened when she brought her concerns to her landlord.
“I showed him this picture and he just laughed in my face,” she said. “He teased me and told me to be careful where I stand next time.”
This is one of the reasons CASA is promoting the Access to Care Act.
The Access to Care Act has been passed by both chambers and now needs the governor’s signature.
This bill would allow immigrants to obtain health insurance regardless of their immigration status.
This could affect hundreds of thousands of immigrants across the state. According to the Vera Institute of Justice, 15 percent of Maryland’s population are immigrants. Approximately 297,500 immigrants, or 10 percent of the population, live in Baltimore.
Most of the jobs they work do not offer health insurance, so they would be able to go to the state marketplace and buy health insurance.
“Access to health insurance not only keeps individuals safe and healthy, but also helps build more productive and healthier communities around them,” said Ninfa Amador, research and policy analyst at CASA. said.
CASA also supports the MDE Permit Authority bill to address the environmental inequities often faced by communities of color.
The goal is to change the permitting process so that the Marland Environmental Department can focus on environmental justice as a factor in decision-making.
However, WJZ stated why some members in the South Baltimore and Curtis Bay area disagree with this environmental bill. They feel it doesn’t address air pollutionissues that affect the community.
