Only US immigrants in California will receive a stimulus check
President Donald Trump approved a $2.2 trillion economic relief bill in March to aid unemployed Americans through the pandemic but excluded immigrants.
In March the United States President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion economic relief bill to aid millions of Americans who lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic. Since mid-April people have been receiving a $1,200 stimulus payment for individuals and $2,400 for married couples that get an additional $500 per child under 17.
Since Donald Trump became president of the U.S. he has implemented strict immigration policies and when he signed this bill it excluded millions of workers who have been in the country before the beginning of the pandemic and that won’t receive any help from the government.
Only immigrants who have a social security number are eligible to get the stimulus payment and those who have a green card or a work visa will receive aid from the government. This leaves millions of undocumented immigrants out of the CARES act.
Many of this undocumented immigrants have been helping the nation by working through the pandemic performing essential services but have no financial safety net. Unauthorized immigrants make up about a quarter of farm workers who have been providing essential work but are not receiving any sort of aid.
Also millions of immigrants who don’t qualify for the CARES’ Act have been paying taxes during their time in the United States because they don’t have a social security number. These exclusions impact entire families, including their US citizen children.
California is offering stimulus payment to undocumented immigrants
The ‘Golden State’ has decided not to turn its back on undocumented immigrants who are vital for the economy of the state and the Gov. Gary Newsom has decided to provide a stimulus payment for them.
On 15 April Newsom announced the creation of a $125 million Disaster Relief Fund to assist undocumented immigrants in California that are suffering economically during the coronavirus pandemic.
Unauthorized workers should receive a one-time payment of $500 per adult to roughly 150,000 immigrants. In a press release, Newsom said, “California is the most diverse state in the nation. Our diversity makes us stronger and more resilient. Every Californian, including our undocumented neighbors and friends, should know that California is here to support them during this crisis. We are all in this together.”