In a shocking new twist on Democrats’ America Last agenda, it was recently revealed that funds meant for Americans suffering financial ruin during the pandemic were taken by local and state governments and handed over to illegal immigrants. Democratic governors and mayors allocated a minimum of $517 million for programs to support undocumented immigrants. The funds originated from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), a $1.9 trillion federal COVID-19 stimulus package signed into law by President Joe Biden in March 2021, and primarily involved distributing cash payments directly to individual undocumented immigrants.
Illinois, for instance, used $71.8 million from the ARP to provide cash assistance to households that could not get Economic Impact Payments because of their immigration status. The city of Chicago also set aside $14.7 million from its “resiliency fund” to give $500 cash transfers to many “previously excluded residents and domestic workers.” The program’s notice said applicants’ citizenship or immigration status would not be questioned.
The “Excluded New Jerseyans Fund” program gave cash assistance to illegal immigrants, funded by $60 million from the ARP. According to state documents, the program distributed cash payments of $2,000 for each person or up to $4,000 for each household to thousands of illegal immigrants. The state of New Jersey described “excluded New Jerseyans” as people who were undocumented, people who came back from prison, and other people who did not get any financial help during the pandemic. The administration of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ran the program.
The Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund gave $3,075 to over 100,000 undocumented people in the state. The state’s lawmakers passed a bill in April 2021 to approve the program. Mike Faulk, a spokesperson for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said, “Folks would do well to familiarize themselves with the disparate health impacts that faced communities of color and immigrants during the pandemic,” adding, “All Washingtonians were impacted by COVID regardless of where they came from, and our state was proud to help as many of our residents as possible during an unprecedented disaster.”
These revelations are provoking many different reactions. Washington and New Jersey, who used the COVID funds to offer cash assistance to illegal immigrants who were not authorized to receive COVID economic impact payments, defended themselves. These states contend that they had the authority to allocate the funds to address the needs of all residents, irrespective of immigration status. They further argue that assisting undocumented immigrants would bolster public health and the state economy.
Critics and lawmakers, however, have questioned the legality and ethics of these programs, alleging that they contravened federal law and the intended purpose of the COVID funds, which aimed to aid American citizens and legal residents affected by the pandemic. They further argued that providing cash to undocumented immigrants could incentivize further illegal immigration and reward lawbreakers.
A recent Economic Policy Innovation Center report bluntly stated, “This means the Biden Administration directly subsidized ‘undocumented’ immigration under the guise of COVID-19 pandemic relief.” Paul Winfree, the President and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center, said earlier this month that the Biden administration has been actively promoting illegal immigration by allocating COVID relief funds from the recovery fund.
The Biden administration had already redirected federal COVID and health funds to support migrant children who unlawfully crossed the border. This decision encountered opposition from critics who accused the administration of misappropriating funds and prioritizing migrants over Americans.Top of Form
These states and cities should prepare for lawsuits and investigations from multiple sources, including the federal government and the courts, over allegations of violating the law or misusing funds. For example, the Treasury Department’s inspector general already announced an inquiry into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ use of COVID relief funds to transport undocumented immigrants to other states.
Americans were kept in the dark about funneling money from COVID-19 relief to illegal immigrants because the issue received limited coverage from mainstream media outlets and was never discussed by political leaders. But now that it’s out there, it’s another hiccup in Team Biden’s reelection campaign and stunning proof of who Democrats want to protect. And it’s not the American people.
