Democrats in Congress and throughout state governments want to lend a helping hand to illegal immigrants during the coronavirus pandemic by releasing them from detention and allowing them to receive $1,200 in stimulus money.
“We have an obligation to do everything we can to prevent the spread of this deadly disease, and that means moving people out of detention centers when they do not pose a public safety risk,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said in a statement. “This is really a matter of life and death: it’s time that we act quickly and decisively to save as many lives as possible, and that means ending the unnecessary detention of immigrants during this public health crisis.”
Booker and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., have introduced a measure that would free illegal immigrants from detention and suspend immigration enforcement against anyone not considered to be a “significant” threat to public safety.
“The Supreme Court ruled that children, undocumented children should have a right to education in our country. Why not then should citizens’ children, children in taxpayers’ families, not have the opportunity to the checks that they need?” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said during a press call this month.
A $3 trillion bill passed last week would give the $1,200 stimulus checks to people who pay income taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), an alternative number often used by illegal immigrants who don't have a Social Security number.
“Can you believe it? We forgot to have the Treasury Department send money to people here illegally. My goodness. What an oversight,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on the floor of the Senate last week.
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