California will be the first state to offer aid to immigrants affected by the pandemic.
On Monday, a new $125 million relief fund was initiated in California. This will be the first-of-its-kind aid and it will make California the first to offer this. Thousands of undocumented immigrants can begin applying for emergency assistance payments of $500 per person and up to $1,000 per household.
“Every Californian, including our undocumented neighbors and friends, should know that California is here to support them during this crisis,” Newsom said in a statement announcing the aid fund.
The fund is expected to help 150,000 undocumented immigrants endure the pandemic, according to the state’s website. California has the largest undocumented population in the country at over 2 million, which makes up about 10 percent of the workforce.
There will be an estimated $75,000 that will come from the state, with $50,000 being supplied by private philanthropic groups, including the James Irvine Foundation and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
The funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis and will only be available until the money is spent, but will not be available after June 30.
Applicants will need to prove that they are not eligible for other coronavirus-related programs like the CARES Act and that they have been financially impacted by the pandemic specifically. Applicants will also need to apply through their local county administrative relief groups.
In L.A. County these are the numbers to call:
Central American Resource Center, which can be reached at (213) 315-2659
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, (213) 201-8700 or (213) 395-9547
Asian Americans Advancing Justice, (213) 241-8880.
The funds are available on a first-com
More information can be found here: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/immigration/covid-19-drai