Many people asked whether illegal immigrants will get the $1,400 stimulus checks after the Senate passed President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan on Saturday. Senators quickly clarified who will get the direct payments.
Cruz proposed to block illegal immigrants from getting a check
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 04: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks at a press conference on school reopening during Covid-19 at US Capitol on March 04, 2021 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives canceled plans to vote today as a precaution after talk surfaced online of possible protest or violent unrest in Washington.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, proposed an amendment to the COVID-19 relief bill on Saturday that prevented illegal immigrants from collecting stimulus checks. The $1,400 stimulus checks would go to "every illegal alien," he said.
However, the Senate voted 49 to 50 early Saturday to oppose Cruz's proposal, which he introduced. Illegal immigrants would not get the $1,400 stimulus bonuses contained in Biden's rescue plan, according to Democrats.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill, accused the Texas Republican of using the stimulus checks as tactical ammo, IBT reported. The senator pointed out that the $1.9 trillion stimulus package, including the $900 billion aid bill approved by the Senate in December 2020 and signed by former President Donald Trump, acknowledged undocumented immigrants' households' subsidies.
Read also: Stimulus Bill: Senate Democrats Agree To Cut Unemployment Benefits in Last Minute Deal
Senate blocks Sen. Ted Cruz's effort
The Senate voted along party lines Saturday morning to oppose an amendment proposed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a possible presidential nominee in 2024, to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving $1,400 stimulus checks. The bill was defeated 49 to 50 in the Senate, with a small majority of senators voting against it, as per The Hill via MSN.
During a discussion on the Senate budget resolution earlier this month, both Democrats voted for a related amendment proposed by Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), another White House hopeful. On Saturday, however, the Democratic caucus remained united in defeating the Republican amendment.
Eight Democrats voted in favor of a related bill introduced by Young and Cotton to establish a contingency fund that would prevent illegal immigrants from collecting economic impact benefits or other forms of direct temporary assistance. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer's replacement provision to the Senate budget plan later repealed the amendment (D-N.Y.).
Read also: Senate Passes COVID-19 Relief Bill, What's Included, When to Receive Your Stimulus Check
Will Illegal Immigrants Receive Stimulus Checks?
According to Newsweek via MSN, under the American Rescue Plan, anyone who pays taxes in the United States as a citizen is eligible for a stimulus check. Non-citizens are included. A Canadian citizen living and employed full-time in the United States, for example, will have a Social Security number and be considered a resident alien. A stimulus payment will be available to that person.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website, unauthorized immigrants are foreign-born non-citizens who remain in the United States illegally. Many that have completed the green card test or who pass the significant presence test are considered legal residents. Taxpayers must be physically present in the United States for 31 days in the current year and 183 days in the previous three years to pass this exam.
A green card holder is called a lawful permanent resident and is liable for the stimulus payment. Since they lack a Social Security card, illegal immigrants will be ineligible to collect a check.
Mixed-status families will be liable for payment under the American Rescue Plan. Meaning that if one family member is a resident alien or a person, all family members will be qualified even if they do not fulfill the resident alien criteria. This is a departure from past COVID-19 relief bills.
Read also: What Does It Take To Get the Stimulus Check of up To $1,400?
