The federal government decided to don’t give the stimulus funds from tax-paying U.S. citizens who are married to people who pay taxes but don’t have SSN.
Philadelphia, PA– The current crisis over COVID-19 has increased the inequities that immigrant communities in Pennsylvania already face. While various activists are struggling to effect the necessary changes needed for society at large, the needs of immigrant communities also must be recognized. For this reason, the PA Immigrant Relief Fund was created. This statewide fund will provide direct emergency assistance to people in need of immediate financial assistance- those excluded from federal COVID-19 assistance programs-due to their immigration status or the immigration status of a family member.
The federal stimulus checks of $ 1,200 were only given to citizens and legal residents who paid taxes using their social security number and not to those who paid their taxes using an ITIN number (ITIN numbers allow individuals without social security numbers to still pay taxes).
The federal government also decided to don’t give the stimulus funds from tax-paying U.S. citizens who are married to people who do not have social security numbers due to their immigration status. This is true even when their spouses also pay taxes with their tax number. In addition to discriminating against immigrants who pay their taxes, this injustice also denies the rights of any American citizen married to an immigrant in the process of regularization.
While this battle is being fought in the courts with no certain timeline, please consider being part of the solution by donating today. While this effort may only provide temporary and partial assistance, it is a step in the right direction to protect our immigrant communities.
To donate, please use this link: https://bit.ly/PAImmigrantReliefFund
