Democrats haven’t been afraid to use the COVID crisis as an excuse to push their progressive agendas.
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently made an announcement that liberals are praising and many conservatives are actively criticizing.
The state has created a $125 milllion fund with the goal in mind of issuing $500 checks to immigrants in the state illegally. While some of the money was secured through charitable donations, taxpayers will foot the bill for a majority of the fund.
When Congress passed the COVID response bill, liberals such as AOC and Ilham Omar quickly lamented that illegal aliens would not be able to tap into the funds. Rather than focus on the needs of American citizens at a time like this, liberals worry about those who came to our country illegally.
Fox News reports the latest details on the governor’s announcement:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday plans to give cash payments to adult immigrants living illegally in the state to help them weather the coronavirus crisis.
The plan, which would use a mix of taxpayer money and charitable donations from corporations and philanthropists, will give 150,000 adults $500 each during the coronavirus outbreak, the governor said.
California has had an estimated 2 million immigrants living in the country illegally. They have not been eligible for the $2.2 trillion stimulus package approved by Congress last month, which pledged cash payments to most Americans while boosting unemployment benefits by $600 per week.
“We feel a deep sense of gratitude for people that are in fear of deportations that are still addressing essential needs of tens of millions of Californians,” said Newsom, a Democrat, who noted 10 percent of the state’s workforce consisted of immigrants living in the country illegally who paid over $2.5 billion in state and local taxes last year.
Taxpayers would be kicking in $75 million for the money, while a group of charities has committed to raise another $50 million for a total of $125 million. A group of charities already has donated $5.5 million for the fund, including the Emerson Collective, Blue Shield of California Foundation, the California Endowment, the James Irvine Foundation, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and an anonymous donor.
Newsom said the money will not be distributed based on income. “Their personal information will not be required to get those support,” he added.
Many on Twitter pointed out the ridiculousness in handing over cash to illegal aliens:
The Hill had more to add on the matter:
The payments will be funded by a $75 million Disaster Relief Fund and will be disbursed through a community-based model of regional nonprofits with experience serving undocumented communities, according to Newsom’s announcement.
“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,” Newsom said in a statement.
Approximately 150,000 undocumented adult Californians will receive a one-time cash benefit of $500 with a cap of $1,000 per household.
Undocumented Americans are not eligible for the federal stimulus relief checks.
In addition to the $75 million state funding for the checks, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), a network of foundations focused on immigration issues, committed to raising $50 million to support direct financial assistance to families of undocumented immigrants through the California Immigrants Resilience Fund.
Watch the governor's announcement below:
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