Millions of tax-paying immigrants won’t get stimulus checks

$2.2 trillion pack that Congress approved to offer financial help during coronavirus pandemic has one major exclusion: millions of immigrants who do t have legal status in U.S. but work here and pay taxes.

That includes Carmen Contreras Lopez, a 48-year-old housekeeper who, though she earns low ws, files a tax return each year. Since virus took hold, she has lost most of her clients and is getting by with help from her oldest son. But she won’t see a penny of money promised to most Americans in response to pandemic.

“It’s hard because to government, we don’t exist,” said Contreras Lopez, who has lived in U.S. for 30 years and has four grown children who are U.S. citizens.

government expects to begin making payments to millions of Americans in mid-April. Anyone earning up to $75,000 in justed gross income and who has a Social Security number will receive $1,200. payment steily declines for those who make more. Legal permanent residents, or green card holders, are expected to benefit.

Roughly 4.3 million mostly unauthorized immigrants who do t have a Social Security number file taxes using what’s kwn as a taxpayer identification number, according to Institute on Taxation and Ecomic Policy.

Many say y pay federal taxes because y hope it will one day help m achieve legal residency and because y feel it’s right thing to do.

“We me that decision because we’re living in a country that’s welcomed us with a lot of love,” said Ingrid Vaca, a house cleaner in Washington, D.C., area.

Vaca said immigrants take care of communities, children, elderly and homes, but y will t receive any help mselves. Also left out are workers’ 3.5 million children, many of whom are American citizens.

“This is a nightmare to me and many of my colleagues,” Vaca said, lamenting lack of income for rent and basic necessities. “We need for us to be respected.”

Asked how immigrants without legal status will survive pandemic’s ecomic toll without any aid, President Donald Trump ackwledged difficulty but said many citizens without work need help first.

“It’s a really s situation, and we are working on it. I will tell you I’m t going to give you a hard and fast answer because I just want to tell you it’s something I think about,” Trump said.

Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation last week in House and Senate that would allow immigrants to access relief funds.

“COVID-19 does t care about your immigration status, so neir should our response,” U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, said in a statement.

Maria Zamora, a day laborer in Los Angeles area, has also been left without work. Until recently, she worked seven days a week cleaning houses, earning roughly $700 weekly. But all of her employers canceled services. After she did an interview with New York Times about her situation, two of those employers decided to keep paying her, she said, but she doesn’t kw for how long. She’s still short on cash for food, rent and bills.

“Like thousands of ors who don’t have legal status, we are left empty-handed in this crisis,” Zamora said. “I pay taxes, but government doesn’t consider that we should get help.”

In rural Massachusetts, Jose Martinez said a pandemic stimulus check could have helped cover at least a month’s worth of expenses, if he h qualified. 34-year-old Mexican crossed border illegally about 15 years ago and lives near Vermont state line with his 4-year-old American-born daughter.

Martinez, a house painter, says work has dropped off during pandemic. His boss still owes him more than $500 for recent jobs, and restaurant where he washes dishes part-time has also been temporarily shuttered.

“ check would have given me opportunity to stay at home, avoid sickness and keep my family safe,” Martinez said, referring to stimulus money. “But I have to keep looking for work and exposing us to risk. I don’t kw what else to do.”

Luis Jiménez, a 35-year-old Mexican who takes cares of calves in New York, near Cana, said he feels forgotten by government even though his work is vital to feed Americans.

“We are essential to ecomy and to feed this country, but we don’t get any help or support,” said far of three, who has lived in United States without legal status for 16 years.

Jiménez, who lives with his kids and spouse, said he makes about $38,000 a year and pays about $6,000 in taxes annually. He has been paying m since 2005, he said.

“Every day we go to work and we are exposed to everything. In farm, re are hardly any protection measures” against coronavirus, he said.

(Im Credit: AP)