The 4th phase of social aid amid a pandemic

The US government implemented different methods of financial aid to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 in the country.

So far, the government has provided three rounds of “stimulus checks” to legal citizens or immigrants holding residence permits.

These checks are basically tax refunds for people who lost their jobs or have financial hardships due to the Coronavirus.

This support helps to alleviate the socio-economic crisis that the country is facing today.

However, thousands of undocumented immigrants have not received any monetary aid and do not have a job to support their families.

Thus, they are requesting help from the government while they process the necessary petitions for legal residence in the US.

Undocumented immigrants pay taxes

Many of undocumented immigrants pay taxes annually to be able to accumulate evidence of their contribution to the country and thus be able to apply for legal residence.

They normally send their applications to the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). However, due to the pandemic, all face-to-face appointments are temporarily suspended and this causes delays in the responses of immigration cases.

Therefore, even if they pay taxes, they have not received any monetary income during the crisis, which is a worrying situation.

This is a controversial subject for immigrant communities and immigrant human rights advocates because the US government claims that people residing illegally in the country do not pay taxes and therefore should not receive social assistance.

However, thousands of undocumented immigrants pay their annual taxes and therefore have the right to receive any financial support during the crisis.

What immigrants asking for?

Most undocumented immigrants ask the government for help so they can receive the “stimulus check” during the fourth round of delivery around the country.

In this way they can protect their families and continue to pay their annual taxes while waiting for a response about their immigration cases.

Immigrant rights advocates also demand medical assistance for all those who need it, regardless of their immigration status. They declare that during the health crisis, everyone residing in the country must have access to COVID-19 exams and the necessary treatments.

Besides that, human rights advocates repeatedly remind the government about the positive impact of immigrants on the country’s economic development.

How could the government benefit if they help immigrants?

The main goal is to reduce mass contagion and save as many lives as possible.

If the government helps undocumented immigrants during the crisis, at least temporarily, they can stay home and avoid being carriers of the virus.

From that perspective, the government could help mitigate the impact of illegal immigration during the global health crisis.

However, if undocumented immigrants do not have any income to support their families, what they are going to do is to search for economic opportunities and they will be exposed to contagion and might infect more people.

The US cannot take this kind of risk right now, the health system is already collapsed and there is no supply for more patients, so we need to avoid this scenario at all costs.

On the other hand, if the government decides to help immigrants who pay annual taxes, it could prevent protests that put the health of the population at risk.

The country must have the best disposition to help those who need it and understand the situation we are all going through.

In times of crisis, we must be flexible to cope with all the changes that lie ahead. Furthermore, we must understand that no one can leave the country today because the borders’ closure. The only ones who can get out are deportees, however, that is putting the territory of neighboring countries at risk, which is something the government wants to avoid.

Immigration processes must have specialized guidance because the policies can be very changing and it is important to be up-to-date about the correct information and how to process cases to avoid rejections.

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.