Excluded no more

Since March 2020, Congress has authorized trillions in COVID relief to support struggling Americans who’ve lost jobs and income. But America’s 11 million or so undocumented immigrants, an estimated 69% of whom worked in low-paying jobs considered “essential” against COVID, were ineligible for any federal aid, even if they paid income taxes, as most do.

Albany correctly moved to right this wrong in its new budget. Tune out the howls about the new Excluded Workers Fund being an insult to American citizens or a windfall to the unworthy; this is what economic fairness looks like.

Across New York, of the roughly 1.8 million immigrants who are “essential” workers, about one in five are undocumented, including thousands of restaurant, delivery, farm and construction workers, home health aides and building cleaners. In New York City alone it’s approximately 200,000 people. Tens of thousands lost their jobs during COVID without getting a dime from Washington.

The $2.1 billion fund will extend to these nearly 300,000 New Yorkers a lifeline equivalent to stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment they’d have received otherwise. Any person whose gross 2020 earnings were less than $26,208, who can prove his or her identity and New York residency, who also filed a state tax return in 2018, 2019 or 2020 and can demonstrate they lost their job or wages because of COVID, would be eligible to receive a $15,600 payment, a little more than half the maximum amount in unemployment benefits eligible New Yorkers have received.

People unable to prove loss of income or employment but who meet the other qualifications would get a $3,200 payment, equivalent to the sum of the $1,200, $600 and $1,400 one-time federal aid checks millions of other Americans received.

Gov. Cuomo, concerned about potential fraud, was right to insist Controller Tom DiNapoli and Attorney General Tish James sign off to ensure verification procedures are airtight. Good. Don’t give fraudsters a dime — but for law-abiding folks who’ve been left behind by the feds, help is in order.