Immigrant Families Deliver 10,000 Petitions and “Broken Hearts” to Gov. Murphy and Legislative Leadership Urging Inclusion of Immigrants in COVID Relief
Immigrant Families Deliver 10,000 Petitions and “Broken Hearts” to Gov. Murphy and Legislative Leadership Urging Inclusion of Immigrants in COVID Relief
Immigrant Families Call on Gov. Murphy and Legislature to Act after Bills to Extend COVID Aid Stall at State and Federal Levels
New Jersey – Friday, February 12, 2021: Today, ahead of Valentine’s Day weekend, immigrant families and workers deliver 10,000 petitions and broken heart Valentines to Gov. Murphy, Senate President Sweeney, and Speaker Coughlin urging them to take action to include the state’s half-million undocumented immigrants and their families that have been excluded from most safety net programs and aid in COVID relief. Current legislation in U.S. Congress also excludes immigrants from stimulus payments.
Throughout the pandemic, undocumented immigrants continue to work in essential occupations, including delivery, warehouse, health care, and cleaning professions, which have allowed millions of New Jerseyans to shelter in place. Despite their contributions, undocumented immigrants have been disproportionately harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, are ineligible for unemployment insurance, TANF, SNAP, and most other safety-net programs, and are excluded from nearly every form of government aid. As many as 128,000 US citizen children have at least one undocumented parent in New Jersey and may have been left behind from all aid.
Raquel, member of Make the Road New Jersey said “I have been without work since the start of the pandemic and have spent all my savings to pay my rent for these past months. We took action today to remind Governor Murphy, Senate President Sweeney, Speaker Coughlin, and our state legislature that we will continue to fight for an economic relief that includes us all. It is unjust that undocumented immigrants, who pay more than $600 million in state taxes, have not received a single penny. Our hearts are broken. We need New Jersey to provide recovery for all and include immigrants in COVID relief.”
Legislation at the state level S2480/A4171 would have provided one time payments to some undocumented tax filers in New Jersey. Despite bipartisan support and endorsements from the Star-Ledger editorial board and other stakeholders, the legislation did not advance.
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