Undocumented Immigrants Are Excluded From the Stimulus Bill
Undocumented immigrants are essential workers during the corona virus pandemic, with no help from the government.
On March 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed a 2 trillion corona virus relief package to help Americans navigate through an economic crisis. The bill known as the CARES Act will supply funds to help businesses, unemployment, local and state governments, hospitals, and Americas’ workers — but not undocumented immigrants.
The bill will distribute direct payments to most tax payers based on their Adjusted Gross Income(AGI). Individual tax payers will get $1,200 each if their income is lower than $75,000. Tax payers who make more than $75,000 annually will receive smaller checks. Married couples will recieve $2,400 if they make less than $150,000 in AGI, and tax payers with children will receive $500 per child, if the child is below 17 years of age.
In addition, to stimulus checks are federal and state unemployment benefits. Individuals who file for unemployment will receive $600 weekly in federal benefits on top of state benefits until July 31st.
Although, the corona virus impacts undocumented immigrants, too many are left with no government aid. The CARES Act does not generate funds to people filing under an Individual Tax Payer Identification Number(ITIN), instead to a social security number. This means that many undocumented immigrants are left in the dark despite their contribution to the economy.
Many undocumented immigrants file their taxes through an ITIN number, which the IRS issues these numbers to individuals who must file their taxes. However, filing taxes does not give eligibility for a social security number, social security benefits or legal authorization to work according to the IRS website.
The latest data released in 2017 by the Institution of Tax payers and Economic Policy of how undocumented immigrants pay their taxes explains that undocumented immigrants are paying $11.74 billion a year in local and state taxes.
Ana O. Law, a Political Science Professor at Brooklyn College, and a former program analyst at the Bi-partisan blue-ribbon, United States Commission on Immigration Reform believes that federal aid should be for everyone. Law said that “The bill was suppose to benefit everyone, since it is, tax payers money. If the government expects undocumented workers to keep working, they should help them out.”
According to Pew Research Center, as of 2017, there were 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S, which 7.6 million unauthorized immigrants are part of the work force.
Additionally, most unauthorized immigrants are working in farming, construction, production, service, and transportation. Some of which are essential jobs during the corona virus crisis.
According to An Economic Profile of Immigrants in New York City, by the NYC Mayor’s Office in 2018 shows that, 76.6% undocumented immigrants are part of the working age population in the workforce. With 24.3% of all construction workers and 20.3% of food preparation workers. The economic profile also found undocumented immigrants observed higher poverty rates because of their disparity in income and low paying sector.
There are 530,000 undocumented immigrants in the NYS labor Force according to the Fiscal Policy Institute. In the report from the Fiscal Policy Report, Kevin Dyssegaard, the deputy director of FPI and director of FPI’s Research Intiative and Jonas Shaende, the chief economist of the FPI wrote that money can be allocated to help undocumented immigrants. In the report Dyssegaard and Shaenede wrote that “There is a clear need for state program to take care of these workers until the federal government finds a way to address the overall need for immigration reform.”
New York was hit hard by the Corona virus pandemic. The governor, Andrew Cuomo placed New York on pause as the corona virus cases increased. Those who were furloughed or lost their jobs because of the virus was able to file for unemployment to receive state and federal benefits. But for some undocumented immigrants, they were laid off with no source of income or benefits coming from the state or the federal government.
Jane Matilda, a nanny and an undocumented immigrant lost her job during the corona virus pandemic. Despite not receiving aid from the government, she pays her taxes and contributes to the economy like many undocumented immigrants do. When asked about how she felt about undocumented immigrants not receiving any help, Matilda said,“Right now in this crisis, it is a good time to value undocumented immigrants who pay their taxes every year, they really deserve that help.”
Matilda recently stopped paying her taxes because she found no advantage of doing so. She said “ I pay the taxes, but I receive no help.” She does not mind paying them back when she has to, but the way undocumented immigrants are portrayed and taken advantage “needs to change,” she said.
The Trump administration have used negative rhetoric towards undocumented immigrants, which has left them feeling unsafe. The President has called undocumented immigrants “animals.”
In a cabinet meeting regarding unauthorized immigrants in 2018, Trump stated that, “You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people, these are animals and we’re taking them out of the country at a level and at a rate that’s never seen before.”
Matilda believes that Trump’s policy for undocumented immigrants and his behavior to treat them differently makes her feel like she is always being discriminated. She said that “Since trump is the president, I have felt that Americans have mistrusted us, especially when you’re looking for a job.”
President Trump signed into the relief package that Americans who are married to an immigrant will not receive stimulus checks. As a result, Americans were upset and a citizen from Illinois, identified as John Doe, filed a lawsuit against the president claiming that the ban violates the Constitution and is a form of discrimination based on solely who he marries.”
Professor Law is not surprised of Trump’s discrimination against undocumented immigrants. She said that “the Federal government has refused to help because Trump entire campaign has been on anti immigrant restrictions. Sometimes Trump’s main policy is to inflict cruelty and pain on people he does not like and this is more of it.”
While the support seemed invisible to undocumented immigrants, California Governor, Gavin Newson announced a 125 million corona virus disaster relief fund last month to support undocumented immigrants who were ineligible for federal stimulus checks and unemployment benefits. California is the first state to offer Corona virus aid to undocumented immigrants.
Newson spoke about his efforts to help undocumented immigrants a month ago saying that “Every Californian, including our undocumented neighbors and friends should know that California is here to support.”
New York has not provided aid for undocumented immigrants even though there are so many undocumented immigrants who are essential workers during the pandemic.
When asked, why Andrew Cuomo is not helping undocumented immigrants in New York? Law said, “Its not a priority to him, he is not a progressive.”