A new report by a free market think tank has revealed that millions in federal COVID funds were used in Washington state to help illegal migrants who were ineligible to receive federal economic impact payments during the lockdowns.
In April 2021, the Washington State Legislature approved an additional $340 million in another round of funding for undocumented people in Washington. The EPIC report says that by the end of the 2022 and 2023 funding rounds, over 100,000 applicants had received $3,075.
EPIC said in its report, “The $340 million project is categorized as a cash transfer expenditure under the SLFRF (State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund), approved for the State of Washington.
“This means the Biden Administration directly subsidized undocumented immigration under the guise of COVID-19 pandemic relief.”
Washington state received $4.4 billion in funding from the SLFRF, which was created to assist state and local governments recover from the COVID-19 crisis. EPIC says that under the terms and conditions of the fund, accepting the money would not affect applications for permanent residency.
“In other words, even though this check is public assistance, because it is being funneled through a so-called COVID program, it would not constitute welfare in such a way that would prevent someone from receiving a permanent resident card,” EPIC said in its report.
“Thus, the Biden Administration is directly subsidizing undocumented immigration while simultaneously claiming the checks do not count in determining if a recipient is dependent on the government and thus a public charge and ineligible for permanent residence.”
EPIC’s report also found several other instances of SLFRF projects approved by the Treasury Department related to undocumented immigrants or asylum seekers, including programs in Arizona for art, music, and dance classes for immigrants and an expansion of shelters. Massachusetts also received funding to expand its shelter capacities.
State Officials Say Fund Was About Helping People with No Access to Federal Resources
The Immigrant Relief Fund has closed, with the last payments in early 2023. State officials said at the time that the fund was an opportunity “to help people who may have been left out of other federal and state resources to address the economic impact of the pandemic.”The impact evaluation report on the Immigrant Relief Fund said that while everyone suffered during the extended lockdowns, “Undocumented Washingtonians, however, experienced disproportionate economic instability since they were ineligible for government-sponsored assistance programs afforded to those with citizenship and more stable or permanent immigration statuses.”
According to the impact evaluation report, many of those who received funds from the Immigrant Relief Fund were receiving no economic stimulus checks, unemployment insurance, or other state and federal pandemic assistance.
“Based on the results of the Impact Evaluation Survey completed by community members, more than 75 percent of applicants do not even have basic healthcare,” the report said.
“With trusted subcontractors and subject matter experts, the Immigrant Relief Fund was able to reach undocumented immigrants through innovative outreach efforts and communication channels that resulted in positive results.”
