California may give illegal immigrants unemployment benefits despite growing budget deficit

Illegal immigrants residing in California may soon be able to collect weekly unemployment benefits as the legislature considers a new bill following the end of Title 42.

Senate Bill 227, titled the Safety Net for All Workers Act, would guarantee laid-off undocumented individuals $300 per week for up to 20 weeks. The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors unanimously voted two months ago to adopt a resolution in support of the legislation.

The Safety Net for All Coalition, a group of California organizations fighting for additional welfare programs for illegal immigrants, estimated that the unemployment program would cost approximately $356 million in state funds but argued that undocumented workers contribute $485 million per year to the state's Unemployment Insurance system.

Shamann Walton, a Democratic member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, claimed that illegal immigrants have the right to unemployment benefits.

"We cannot take people's money, take people's taxes, take people's labor and then deny them the very benefits and rights that they deserve and that they have earned," Walton stated.

Democratic state Senator María Elena Durazo, the bill's sponsor, echoed Walton's stance.

"Every day, undocumented immigrants contribute to California's economic prosperity in agriculture, construction, clothing and other industries," Elena Durazo said. "Yet immigrants continue to be shut out from California's economic success due to unjust exclusions from the safety net."

The senator called the exclusions preventing illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded benefits "racist."

The Senate Appropriates Committee is scheduled Thursday to review proposed legislation that would include SB 227 and decide whether to move the bill to the floor.

The California Globe reported that the state's Employment Development Department would be responsible for administering the unemployment funds, the same department that previously distributed COVID relief funds.

An investigation by the House of Representatives Oversight and Accountability Committee found that the EDD lost over $40 billion to fraud.

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom previously shot down similar legislation last year, claiming that the bill needed "further work to address operational issues and fiscal concerns."

On Friday, Newsom stated that California's budget deficit increased to approximately $32 billion.

The governor claimed that the state does not have "an easy budget."

"I hope you see we will try to do our best to hold the line and take care of the most vulnerable and most needy but still maintain prudence," he stated.

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