‘This court ruling pushes back on the abuse by county officials who want to send taxpayer coronavirus money to illegal aliens…’
(Joshua Paladino, Liberty Headlines) A Maryland District Court ruled last week that Montgomery County’s efforts to pay illegal aliens $10 million in cash likely violates federal law and causes irreparable harm to taxpayers, reported Judicial Watch, the group that filed the lawsuit.
Judge Peter Messitte denied Judicial Watch’s plea for a temporary restraining order, but he granted a hold on 25 percent of the program’s remaining funds until the court concludes further evaluation of the case.
So far, Messitte said Judicial Watch may prevail.
“Based on an analysis of the federal statute alone, the Court concludes that Plaintiffs have demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on the merits,” Messitte wrote for the court’s opinion.
JW originally filed the lawsuit on May 13 in the Montgomery County Circuit Court for taxpayers Sharon Bauer and Richard Jurgena. The lawsuit has since moved to federal court.
The lawsuit seeks to prevent Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and Raymond Crowel, director of its Health and Human Services Department, from sending taxpayer money to illegal aliens.
“This court ruling pushes back on the abuse by county officials who want to send taxpayer coronavirus money to illegal aliens in violation of federal law,” said JW President Tom Fitton.
The county’s Emergency Assistance Relief Payment Program provides $500 to single illegal aliens, $1,000 per family with one child, and $150 for each additional child up to $1,450.
Fitton said Montgomery County does not have the authority to send taxpayer money to non-citizens.
Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from receiving state benefits from state or local governments.
“The coronavirus challenge doesn’t give politicians a pass to violate the law,” he said.
“If politicians want to use tax money from law-abiding taxpayers and send cash payments to illegal aliens, they must be accountable and transparent, and, as federal law requires, pass a state law to do so.”
JW said the Maryland State Legislature must pass a law that gives Montgomery County officials the authority to pay illegal aliens.