Government announces second round of “stimulus checks”

The US is one of the countries most affected by the sudden onset of the global Coronavirus pandemic. The massive outbreak in the North American territory has strongly intervened in most sectors of our society.

For instance, the economic sector is one of the most affected by the COVID-19. The country is experiencing an even higher unemployment rate than during the Great Recession (2007-2009). In fact, during the month of April, the unemployment figure reached 14.7%. It means that approximately 22 million people lost their jobs due to the global pandemic.

As an emergency measure, the current administration of the US decided to offer “Stimulus Checks” to ease the economic crisis and boost cash flow.

These checks are basically a monetary aid offered by the government to citizens who lost their jobs during the current juncture and who no longer have any income to support their families. The first round of stimulus checks was sent to each state in late April and beginning June 2020.

Over the past few weeks, the local population has asked the government for a second round of stimulus checks, as the unemployment rate decreased in June, but still exceeds 10%.

Therefore, on Saturday, June 25, the Trump government announced that a second round of stimulus checks is coming in August.

The stimulus checks and immigrant communities

Currently, one of the biggest controversies in the US is how the government is handling immigration in the midst of the health crisis caused by the Coronavirus.

The Trump administration has continuously strived to reduce the number of immigrants entering the country during the current juncture. In addition to that, the government also wants to sanction immigrants residing in the country without legal documentation. In this way, it aims to reduce illegal immigration.

Thus, during the first round of stimulus checks, the President openly stated that undocumented immigrants should not have the right to receive this government aid, or any other public benefit.

In fact, during April, President Trump announced several requirements that must be met to be able to receive the stimulus checks. Some of them exclude immigrant communities.

Let’s see some examples:

1. If an American citizen is married to an undocumented immigrant, they should not receive stimulus checks.
2. Even if many undocumented immigrants (that have an active immigration case) pay the mandatory annual taxes, they should not have the opportunity to receive stimulus checks.
3. Minors are also entitled to receive a portion of the monetary aid. Actually, many of them were born in the US and are legal citizens.
   However, if minors come from mixed families (a citizen parent and an immigrant parent, or both immigrant parents without documentation), President Trump recommends that they should not receive stimulus checks.

However, despite President Trump’s opinion, the local government of each state has the right to decide how to distribute the stimulus checks in the region. That is the case of California that decided to financially help undocumented immigrants during the health crisis.

Do you need to submit a request to obtain your legal documentation?

These are very changing times for the immigrant communities in the US. It is important for you to have reliable help to properly prepare your immigration application.

In addition to that, many of the processes are delayed due to the health crisis. Hence, it is essential for you to take the opportunity to present a solid case and avoid possible denial.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.