by Jason Hopkins
Several House Democrats introduced legislation that, if signed into law, would allow illegal aliens to obtain funds from the recently passed coronavirus relief package.
California Rep. Lou Correa, along with two other Democratic lawmakers, introduced the Leave No Taxpayer Behind Act on Friday. The legislation would amend the CARES Act — the $2 trillion stimulus package intended to help Americans suffering under the coronavirus pandemic, and allow individuals living in the U.S. unlawfully to apply for funds.
“I was appalled to learn hardworking, taxpaying immigrants were left out of the $2 trillion CARES Act,” Correa said in a statement released Friday.
He continued: “By casting out immigrants, we are placing some of our most vulnerable residents in grave danger. Every individual taxpayer, irrespective of citizenship status, needs government assistance now.”
President Donald Trump signed the coronavirus bailout package March 17. The $2.2 trillion stimulus bill will provide a $1,200 payment to all single Americans who earn less than $75,000 annually, or $2,400 for families that earn under $150,000 — including $500 for each child under 17.
However, these funds do not provide assistance to individuals who don’t have Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, which would include foreign nationals living and working in the U.S. unlawfully.
Supporters of the Leave No Taxpayer Behind Act likened this stipulation to discrimination.
“This virus does not care about immigration status. It does not discriminate and neither should we. Immigrants own businesses and homes, support families, and pay rent, and contribute to their communities,” said California Democratic Rep. Judy Chu, who has also called for a freeze on deportations amid the pandemic.
Chu added: “Making it impossible for them to receive the same benefit we are sending to everyone else just means those immigrants will have a harder time affording food or rent, and that leaves us all worse off. I hope to see this corrected in the next relief package.”
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Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
I am on H1B work visa from last 10 years in USA and paying my taxes on time. I recently got married and my wife is on H4 dependent visa where she can not work. I filed taxes with her jointly, but because she got ITIN not SSN, though she is completely legal, this CARE ACT left us out. So this new amendement act to include ITIN number is fair and correct.
Why have you not became naturalized?
STUPID! Send the illegals home.
Sorry but let me correct your uneducated story. I am a legal citizen born and raised here. My husband however is not but is in the process. We file our taxes jointly with my SSN and his ITIN. We have 4 children also born and raised here and 1 is disabled. We don’t qualify for the stimulus relief because 1 person has an ITIN on our tax return. Passing this bill also gives to millions more American citizens and children that desperately deserve and need these funds. We pay our taxes every single year as we have for 10 years. So please educate yourself on what this bill is passing because it’s not just “UNDOCUMENTED” people it’s also AMERICAN BORN CITIZENS that were ostracized from the first bill simply because of who we married and LEGALLY filed our taxes with. Thanks
Expect an executive order amnesty and thousands more marching on our border the next time a Democrat is president.