An Alabama non-profit that provides services for those with HIV/AIDS has issued a response to claims made by Lt. Gov Will Ainsworth.
In a statement, AIDS Alabama provided a rebuttal to Ainsworth following an assertion he made last week in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Director Alejandro Mayorkas.
Ainsworth claimed that HIV rates were “soaring” because of the Cuba-Haiti-Nicaragua-Venezuela Parole Program. AIDS Alabama said that his statement was “unfounded” and “detrimental” to those trying to combat HIV.
“Alabama Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth recently asserted in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Director Alejandro Mayorkas that a federal immigration program is contributing to an increase in HIV cases in Alabama,” the organization said.
“This letter, which was subsequently shared on the platform X (formerly Twitter), contains claims that are categorically unfounded and detrimental to our collective efforts in combating the epidemic.
“Such misinformation undermines the progress we strive for in public health and fosters division rather than understanding.”
Efforts by AL.com to reach Ainsworth for data to support his assertion were not immediately successful.
AIDS Alabama said that while there is an increase in HIV cases among Hispanics in the state, the reason is due to a number of converging factors like healthcare access and poverty.
“Blaming immigrants not only oversimplifies the issue but also overlooks the many invaluable contributions they make to our communities – enriching the state’s culture and economy as both workers and entrepreneurs, generating millions in business and tax revenue,” the organization wrote.
This increase was not due to their immigration status and invalidates the contributions of immigrants, the organization said.
“Inaccurate information fosters stigma around HIV, breeds mistrust, and exacerbates health disparities, further entrenching discrimination against immigrants and those living with HIV,” the organization said. “To view immigrants as a drain on resources is to overlook their substantial contributions and the mutual benefits they bring.”
According to quarterly HIV data from the Alabama Department of Health there has been no substantial increase in new cases over the last several years.
