NTF Issue paper: illegal164.doc. 4-20.
NEBRASKA TAXPAYERS FOR FREEDOM ISSUE PAPER:
SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS SEEK FREE MONEY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS.
BACKGROUND. The 3 emergency stimulus bills already passed by Congress contained loads of waste and frivolous spending, having no connection to the COVID-19 virus crisis. Socialist Democrats stuffed many of their wish list items into these bills, bloated spending items that could not win a majority vote otherwise, but nevertheless failed to include monetary payments, more “free stuff,” for their illegal alien dependents. Reacting swiftly to complaints coming from militant leftist immigration groups, these Dems quickly decided to supplement the stimulus bills by advocating benefits for illegal aliens, citing discrimination.
ONE BILL. Leftist Cong. Lou Correa introduced HR 6438 to include illegal aliens in the coronavirus relief response. His bill is in the House Ways & Means Committee and currently has 50 liberal co-sponsors, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who called the previous exclusion “inhumane.” She blatantly lied about the coronavirus to use this pandemic to push for “a lens of new reparations.” In a tweet, the leftist Democrat complained about discrimination against black and brown people, supposedly disproportionately affected by the coronavirus because of “racism.” Another co-sponsor wants a freeze on deportations amidst the virus pandemic. Active co-sponsors are key members of the leftist Squad: Reps. Ocasio-Cortez and Muslim Reps. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (MN.), who blamed the GOP for exploiting illegals. The 3 stimulus bills exclude illegal aliens, even those who Rep. Correa pay taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN, from cash assistance, food stamps, and unemployment benefits. HR 6438 would allow all illegals who use ITIN Social Security numbers (SSNs) to apply to receive federal cash assistance of $1,200 apiece. The IRS issues ITINs to illegal immigrants, so they can pay taxes, even though they do not have an SSN. Presently, if anyone in a household uses an ITIN, a spouse or a dependent child, no one in the household will qualify for a stimulus check, unless one spouse served in the military in 2019. Currently, stimulus checks go only to those with Social Security numbers, green card holders, and legal resident aliens. DACA recipients and those having Temporary Protected Status (TPS) also qualify. The $2.2 trillion stimulus bill, the third, provides 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. HR 6438 would cost U.S. taxpayers additional millions in handouts.
Rep. Omar.
TRUMP OPPOSITION. After a liberal reporter chastised President Trump for excluding illegal aliens from the dispensations, Trump replied, “Well, you know, you’re saying ‘undocumented,’ meaning they came in illegally. A lot of people would say we have a lot of citizens right now that won’t be working, so what are you going to do? It’s a tough thing…But they came in illegally.”
CONGRESSIONAL OPPOSITION. Congressional opposition so far is tepid. In a Senate floor speech, Sen. Rand Paul called illegal immigrants not “legitimate” people, not entitled to the virus payout. He intended his unsuccessful amendment to prevent illegals from gaining a bonus, which he said would cost the government at least $26 billion.
ANOTHER LIBERAL BILL. Several leftist representatives introduced HR 6437, the Coronavirus Immigrant Families Protection Act. This bill is in the House Judiciary and Ways & Means Committees. Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Bernie Sanders (VT.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (HW.) and Kamala Harris (CA.), and Reps. Judy Chu (CA.), Raul Grijalva (AZ.), and Lou Correa (CA.) with this House and similar Senate bill would ensure that every illegal alien and illegal refugee in our nation gains access to virus testing and treatment, free health care, and other critical resources during the virus pandemic. Their bills would expand English language programs for illegals and order $100 million in funding for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to conduct public outreach in multiple languages to reach illegal populations. The CDC would issue grants to community organizations that work with immigrant communities. The bill would cancel the public charge rule instituted by the Trump Administration that prohibits illegal aliens from accessing welfare benefits. It would cancel all immigration checks on possible illegals, stop immigration detention and deportation, and suspend ICE enforcement actions at hospitals, health care centers, courthouses, shelters, and other “sensitive” locations. This bill would extend state Medicaid coverage to illegals for virus-related services and prohibit discrimination in programs funded by the coronavirus relief bills based on actual or perceived immigration status. Illegal aliens with ITINs could access cash relief benefits. Automatic extension of expiring work permits for illegals during the virus emergency.
LEFTIST ENDORSERS. The National Immigration Law Center, National Immigration Justice Center, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Center for American Progress, and AFL-CIO support this bill.
NEBRASKA PREDICAMENT. Hundreds of aliens, many illegal, work in Grand Island and other NE meatpacking plants. Authorities are not shutting down these businesses, despite citizen alarm regarding food safety, as hundreds of these employees call in sick or continue to work because of no welfare benefits available to them. An increasing number of them testing positive for the coronavirus. They decline to seek medical assistance, fearing deportation. Thus, health officials have great difficulty controlling the virus in these communities.
TAKE ACTION NOW. This legislation, if passed by Congress, would allow millions of tax dollars to subsidize those who broke federal immigration law and create a procedure for them to apply for help from the federal government. Taxpayers owe nothing to those who have broken U.S. law by emigrating here illegally. Contact your 2 senators and congressman today. Using the information above, urge them to stop stimulus bill funds from subsidizing illegal aliens in U.S. benefit programs. Email netaxpayers@gmail.com for Capitol Hill contact information and to join our NTF Project Immigration.
Research, documentation, and analysis for this issue paper done by Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom. This material copyrighted by Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, with express prior permission granted for its use by other groups in the NE Conservative Coalition Network. 4-20. C