Emely Deleon and six other CASA activists were arrested this Friday. Photo CASA.
Moments ago [Friday, April 7th], I got arrested with six other CASA activists on the steps of the Maryland State House, calling on the Senate to pass the Access to Care Act.
Passed with great support in the House, the Access to Care Act removes immigration status as an eligibility requirement in the process of purchasing a health insurance plan through Maryland’s healthcare marketplace.
My family thought we had escaped the worst of the pandemic, but it caught up to us last year: my dad Edgar was only 49 years old when he lost his life to COVID-19. I risked arrest for him and Marylanders like him who don’t have health insurance. I honor my dad with this sacrifice.
CASA members chanted, «Healthcare is a Human Right,» at the foot of the State House while police took us away in their squad cars. In the crowd were immigrant mothers and young children, voicing their support and sharing their personal healthcare stories.
We remember Santos Romero, who planned to testify for this bill before she passed from her untreated diabetes. This single mother did not have health insurance that would have helped her pay for insulin. We raised up her name and my dad’s name – and the name of so many more who continue to suffer.
| CASA will continue to fight for access to healthcare for all Marylanders as it is considered a priority to CASA members. You can too: call and email your legislators NOW before it’s too late. |
| Call and email your legislators NOW |
In solidarity,
Emely Deleon
