COVID-19 Law and Policy Briefings, Series One: Equitable Enforcement

Abstract

As COVID-19 inflicts disproportionate harm on communities of color, inequitable enforcement of public health policies in response to the pandemic further widens health disparities. Police are strictly enforcing stay-at-home orders in some communities of color, while employing more lenient approaches in predominantly white communities. At the same time, enforcement of some laws designed to protect health and safety—from local housing codes to federal environmental laws like the Clean Air Act—has been suspended during the emergency response. This Briefing will discuss inequitable enforcement of public health laws and options that government officials should consider in order to promote more equitable outcomes during the pandemic and in the long-term, after the public health crisis subsides.