California Democrats are aiming to advance another bill aimed at providing benefits to illegal immigrants, but Republican lawmakers are attempting to derail it.
“It’s insulting that California Democrats are even considering expanding unemployment benefits to illegal immigrants,” Senate Majority Leader Brian Jones told Fox News Digital. “Under the Newsom administration, the unemployment insurance fund is already depleted, with a $20 billion shortfall. We cannot afford to offer assistance to individuals who are here illegally.
In a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, Jones stated that the Employment Development Department (EDD) is still recuperating from its failure to manage the massive demand for benefits following the COVID-19 shutdowns.
SB 227, introduced by Democratic Senator María Elena Durazo, would require the EDD to develop a detailed plan to establish a permanent Excluded Workers Program. The program would provide cash assistance similar to unemployment insurance benefits to unemployed workers who are ineligible due to their immigration status.
Jones stated that the EDD is still recovering from COVID-19, but they are also dealing with the failure to prevent tens of billions of dollars in bogus unemployment claims.
“Until the EDD demonstrates it has effective systems and procedures to ensure timely benefits and prevent fraud, it should not be tasked with new responsibilities and costs,” says Jones.
Jones further noted that passing this bill would place extra demands and expenses on the EDD, distract resources away from making critical reforms, and plunge the state deeper into violating federal immigration rules.
“This bold plan sends a dangerous message: come to California and accept free money for not working. As California goes, so does the rest of the country. Jones stated. “Americans should be very concerned about a Harris-Waltz Administration taking this policy nationwide.”
California Assemblyman James Gallagher echoed Jones, claiming that small firms are suffering as a result of financial mismanagement.
“Newsom is already jacking up taxes on small businesses to pay off the debt he rang up with his mismanagement of our unemployment system during COVID,” Gallagher pointed out. “Democrats plan to open up the benefits to illegal immigrants is only going to invite more fraud and waste more money.”
“Wouldn’t it be great if Democrats focused as much on bringing down our highest-in-the-nation unemployment rate as they do on pushing new giveaways to illegal immigrants?”
According to Gov. Newsom’s office, the measure will be examined on its merits, and the deadline for signing or vetoing legislation on the Governor’s desk is September 30th.
This is the Senate’s second bill proposing benefits for illegal immigrants.
Last month, the California legislature advanced AB 1840, also known as the “California Dream for All” loan program, which would have given illegal immigrants up to $150,000 in first-time homeownership loans — a bill that, if signed into law, would have provided first-time homebuyers with up to 20% of a home’s value or up to $150,000 in down payment assistance.
“This bill proposes to prevent the exclusion of applicants from one of the California Housing Finance Agency’s (CalHFA) home purchase assistance programs solely because of their immigration status. Given the limited funds available for CalHFA programs, Newsom stated in the veto letter that extending program eligibility must be carefully reviewed within the larger framework of the annual state budget to ensure that resources are managed properly.