California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced the state would offer a $125m grant for immigrants in the state illegally that have been affected by the coronavirus.
What We Know:
- In California, there are an estimated 2 million individuals who are in the state illegally and as a result will not be eligible to receive help from the CARES Act during the coronavirus shutdowns. This money is intendted to cover those individuals.
- Newsom noted that 10 percent of the state’s workforce is made up of immigrants in the country illegally and that they paid $2.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2019.
- The money won’t be distributed directly to individuals in the same way the CARES Act stimulus money, but will instead be dispersed to regional nonprofits. The nonprofits can then distribute the money to individuals in need.
- State Republicans are upset about the money’s use, suggesting it should be directed elsewhere. The state Senate’s Republican leader Shannon Grove said the governor should be putting the money toward food banks, educational equipment or toward local governments.
- “Instead of meeting these urgent needs, Governor Newsom has chosen to irresponsibly pursue a left-wing path and unilaterally secured $125 million for undocumented immigrants,” Ms Grove said.
In addition to the $125 million state funded financial aid, a group of charities said it will raise another $50 million to add to Mr Newsom’s Disaster Relief Fund to help immigrants in the country illegally.
