Is it shocking? No, but it also explains why so many illegal aliens are pouring across the border. The allure of job opportunities and plentiful social services in the United States has always been something that's kept illegal immigration a chronic issue. Now, these folks know there are specific Democratic-run states that will not only give them free stuff but also protect them via sanctuary cities and other pro-illegal alien nonsense.
New York City is spending $53 million on a pilot program where illegal alien families get pre-paid credit cards. In Washington State, $340 million in COVID funds were redirected to give these folks $1,000 checks (via Fox News):
A new report is highlighting how federal COVID funds were used in Washington state to give $1,000 checks to illegal immigrants who were ineligible to receive federal economic impact payments during the pandemic due to their immigration status.
The report, by the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), points to money administered by the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF), which was created by the American Rescue Plan Act and was intended to help state and local governments with their response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Washington state received $4.4 billion in funding overall from that program.
The report from the group, which calls for a smaller federal government, highlighted how $340 million in funding went to a program that sent $1,000 checks to illegal immigrants in the state. The funds, approved by the Washington state legislature in April 2021, provided "another round of funding for undocumented Washingtonians," according to an impact report on the program said.
The Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund was first set up in 2020 to grant checks to those ineligible for government assistance programs due to their immigration status. Treasury documents confirm that the state has since provided an extra $340 million in federal relief funds for the one-time cash grants, with 10% of the funding went to community-based organizations to administer the program.
What’s next? In some ways, you could argue that these illegal aliens are being treated better than American citizens, especially veterans who’ve been struggling to transition back into civilian life. It’s reached a point where even liberals acknowledge that we have an immigration crisis, and these measures are a bridge too far.
It's also an issue that Democrats think is a winner for them—it’s not. Liberal data scientists like David Shor have noted the hyper-nuanced positions voters take on immigration, especially on issues like amnesty and a pathway to citizenship. It barely gets majority support among Hispanic voters. It’s been that way for years, and it’s not changing. Health care is the slam-dunk issue where Democrats are trusted more than Republicans, but the immigration gamble is where the party opted to double down.
The issue catapulted Donald Trump to the presidency. With Biden as unpopular as he is, saddled with economic torpor, high inflation, and a world in chaos—Democrats think immigration could be a political lifeboat for the aging president. I don’t think so.
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