500 leaders from 30 faith, education, and community institutions gathered on September 20 to raise the most pressing issues facing their families and to secure commitments for concrete action from candidates for public office. Both state legislative candidates present pledged their support for OTOC’s agenda, and candidates for governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House committed in writing to meet with OTOC within their first 100 days of office if elected.
Leaders paired personal stories with research and policy proposals on their common concerns, from Nebraska’s healthcare shortage and gaps in unemployment insurance to medical debt and school safety for children of immigrants.
A small business owner and immigrant who earned her dental license in Mexico described the financial barriers she faced in trying to transfer her professional credentials to the U.S. She called for legislation to ease that process and improve healthcare access.
“In our community, some people wait nearly a year for a simple cleaning appointment,” she said. “I want to put my skills as a dentist to serv[e] the community, but I can’t do that without changes to our current laws to allow internationally trained dentists to transfer their credentials. Making these changes expands access to essential care, reduces overwhelming wait times, and strengthens oral health for families across all of Nebraska.”
A leader from the Heartland Workers Center called for legislation to close a gap that bars thousands of work-authorized immigrants, including DACA recipients and Temporary Protected Status holders, from the unemployment benefits their employers pay into. Denying those earned benefits, she said, hurts not only immigrant families but also employers and Nebraska’s entire economy.
A father from the Sudanese Community of Greater Omaha explained the crushing impact of medical debt on his family because his wife and four children have chronic conditions requiring ongoing medical care.
We need our leaders to fund medical debt relief and to put strong protections in place so families like mine do not become homeless just from being sick,” he said.
A public school graduate and daughter of immigrants called on the candidates to support legislation prohibiting immigration enforcement activity on campuses without a judicial warrant.
“Today, children like me are sitting in Nebraska classrooms wondering whether their parents will be there when they get home and whether school is still a safe place. Immigrant children are living in fear. Children cannot learn if they do not feel safe.”