New York plans to create a $2.1 billion fund to provide coronavirus relief for illegal immigrants and other unemployed workers who did not qualify for federal aid during the pandemic.
Individuals that qualify for the Empire State’s coronavirus relief fund, called the Excluded Workers Fund, could receive one-time payments of up to $15,600, according to reports.
They must first prove they are New York “residents” who were ineligible for unemployment benefits and stimulus checks due to their immigration status.
Illegal immigrants unable to show this verification will still be eligible for checks of up to $3,200.
“This nation’s economy has long been built on the backs of our undocumented workforce, and their essential labor that has helped keep our nation running throughout this pandemic,” New York State Sen. Jessica Ramos said in a statement, according to Fox Business.
“I’ve met neighbors who have not been able to pay rent, or put food on the table, or been able to provide their children with a laptop when a public school has not been able to provide one,” Ramos added.
Republicans slammed the fund as an “outlandish development” of Democratic rule in the state.
It matters who governs. https://t.co/3W8KBhXe5i
— Bill Hagerty (@BillHagertyTN) April 8, 2021
Why are taxes high in New York?
So the government can pay illegal immigrants up to $15,600.
In New York, it pays to break the law. https://t.co/0BMLbxVQMm
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) April 8, 2021
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio defended the bill on Thursday, saying illegal immigrants are “part of the life of our city.”
“This is important to do because these are families, these are human beings who are part of our community, part of our life,” he said. “They have been suffering without a lot of the help other people have gotten. This is part of how we recover together, so I do think it was the right thing to do.”
