Inslee: $40 million Immigrant Relief Fund to help those who can’t get stimulus money
Governor Jay Inslee said a $40 million fund will start helping people in Washington state whose immigration status has kept them from getting federal stimulus funds during the coronavirus pandemic
“We have to ensure that no one in our state is left behind as we fight this pandemic,” Inslee said in a press release Monday. “COVID-19 doesn’t care what your immigration status is. We must support every family affected by the virus, especially those who lack the necessary means to quarantine or isolate and prevent further spread. This is the right thing for the well-being of individuals, the health of their colleagues and the safety of our communities.”
The state Department of Social and Health Services will pick a nonprofit to manage the fund, and people who are eligible should get $1,000 starting this fall.
Rich Stolz, executive director of immigrant rights group OneAmerica, said in the press release: “Immigrant community members are facing some of the worst outcomes of this pandemic and have been systematically excluded from a social safety net for too long. A coalition of immigrant organizations came together to develop this fund that recognizes the dignity of our undocumented community members and works to get some relief to their families during this difficult time.”
The Washington Census Alliance said in a press release Tuesday: “To receive funds, an applicant must show they are at least 18, a Washington resident, have experienced economic hardship because of the pandemic, and are undocumented or otherwise ineligible for federal or state relief because of immigration status.”
Kamau Chege, the director of the Washington Census Alliance, said in the statement: “We are leaning on our undocumented neighbors and friends—many of whom are essential workers—to keep our economy going during this pandemic. The decision to exclude undocumented families from the CARES Act was cruel and harmful to everyone—from the immigrant breadwinner struggling to get by to the local shops who lost their customers. This fund is a small but a great start that we should all celebrate and build on to take care of every Washingtonian during this crisis.”
Inslee also said $3 million through a Food Production Paid Leave Program will help some workers stay home when they are sick.
And he noted the state has facilitated $1 million of hand sanitizer and 700,000 masks for agricultural workers. That will be more than 2 million masks, including KN95 masks, with “further distributions,” his press release said.
“Immigrant workers are critical to communities throughout the state and are the backbone of our economy,” his statement said. “While some have been hit by the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, others face safety risks as frontline workers. And even though immigrants in the United States pay billions of dollars in taxes, they do not receive the same support when a crisis occurs. This is one way to help rectify that situation.”
This story was originally published August 11, 2020 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Inslee: $40 million Immigrant Relief Fund to help those who can’t get stimulus money."
