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Taxpayers group sues Newsom over plan to help undocumented immigrants

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Gov. Gavin Newsom [Facebook photo]
LOS ANGELES – A taxpayers’ group filed court papers Wednesday to block Gov. Gavin Newsom’s allocation of $75 million in coronavirus-related aid to undocumented immigrants ineligible for unemployment insurance.

The still unofficial Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit brought by Judicial Watch Inc. represents the two plaintiffs, state taxpayers Robin Crest and Howard A. Myers. The plaintiffs are asking a judge to find the payments an illegal expenditure of taxpayer money. They also want a permanent injunction preventing taxpayer money from being made available to “unlawfully present aliens.”

The plaintiffs also name as a defendant Kim Johnson, director of the state Department of Social Services, who is tasked with overseeing and administering the expenditure.

A representative for Newsom did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

According to the plaintiffs, Newsom’s plan, announced April 15, would provide about 150,000 undocumented immigrants with a one-time cash payment of $500 with a cap of $1,000 per household.

The plaintiffs maintain the program would actually cost $79.8 million because of the additional cost of administering it through non-profit organizations.

The recipients would receive payments beginning in May and 40,000 of the 150,000 targeted people live in Los Angeles County, according to the plaintiffs. Myers and Crest maintain the state Legislature has not enacted “any law which affirmatively provides that unlawfully present aliens are eligible for those public benefits.”

Last week, another group, the Center for American Liberty, filed an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court asking for a stay on Newsom’s action. The plaintiffs are Whittier City Councilwoman Jessica Martinez and Ricardo Benitez, an immigrant from El Salvador who is now a U.S. citizen.

They are vying for Assembly District seats in the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys, respectively.

Previous related story: Newsom announces relief fund for undocumented immigrants

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Filed Under: Home, Los Angeles County, Politics

25 comments for "Taxpayers group sues Newsom over plan to help undocumented immigrants"

  1. Ain’t that a bunch of ca-ca. And because I’ve had a fraudulent child support case filed against me I cannot get any type of relief and I was born n raised here in California. Wonder if I’d get help if I went to Mexico or somewhere. Doubt it. Think we are the only country that helps other countries citizens before or own

  3. Well if Calif. wants to play games then Trump should just enforce the Laws on the books. Have massive ICE raids and go after the company’s that hire them. Cut off Fed. money. Mass Deportations!!!

  4. Trump is making fools of all you Trumpers, Ron.

    So you, like Fox News, have to make up things to be outraged about.

    As you can see, NO PASS fhere rom others and myself.

    Trump and the GOP will be gone next year. So you’ll have to find someone else to worship and be conned by.

  5. Undocumented immigrants labor is worth $180 billion a year in California. One quarter of the work force are undocumented immigrants putting in backbreaking work for very little pay, and what they do get paid by corporate farms are taxed. This is work according to those that hire these essential workers, say U.S. citizens won’t do. The food people buy at the stores are provided by hard working undocumented immigrants. I hope these hard working souls get all the help they need through the taxpayers that eat the food they provide.

  6. I don’t understand why you are not interested in facts, Ron. The undocumented workers that receive paychecks for hard work by those that hire them, have taxes taken out of their paychecks, but are not qualified to collect unemployment. This isn’t about working under the table ,but Trumpist and a few others on here don’t take the time to learn the FACTS before you keep typing the same thing. These taxpayers that are suing because they don’t want their taxes going to undocumented workers paying taxes ought to consider further before burdening the court system.

  7. F@ck You Gov. Gavin Newsom! Who the hell are you to tell me and not ask me how my tax dollars are going to be spent! It’s time for a change. Get these f@!king bullies out of office!!

    • Ok you big mad your tax money which us minimal don’t do nothing stop crying out loud if it wasn’t for them people you wouldn’t go grocery shopping and leave happily with your fruit and veggies would you?

      I DONT THINK SO A HOLE

  8. Newsom actions are illegal, as it goes against federal immigration guidelines. California can cite tenth amendment, but judge will most likely rule against it as constitution is pretty clear on who can and cannot get Government (federal, state, local) money.

    • Why not if they spend it on lazy people who sit on their a$$ all day eating and complaining. Oh wait that’s why they are mad cause they think they don’t get enough for them .they should cancel all of their benefits let them suffer so they can really complain about something.

  10. Since when are Governors allowed to make up their own immigration LAWS? Who gave him the AUTHORITY? It’s up to Congress. There is no law that says he can give money to illegals. He’s just making things up as he goes.

    • Since when does Trump have “absolute authority” but “no responsibility”? His words.

      I thought I told you to stay in the car, Ron.

      As long as you ignore the 16,000+ lies and unconstitutional actions by Trump, you have no creds here.

      You can prattle* on and on about this and that but we’re wise to ya.

      *prattle
      -verb: talk at length in a foolish or inconsequential way.. Yep, that’s you.

      • William you didn’t answer one question I asked. What State Law was passed that he can give money to illegals. Sure seems to me he’s just making up LAWS as he goes. It’s suppose to be up to Congress to make the immigration laws. Not States. There going to be a big fight in the courts over this. I like to know where Newsom gets this authority when no law was passed. He’s just making stuff up as he goes. This has nothing to do with Trump. I really question the legal status on this.

        • I disagree with giving illegal immigrants aide. Some of them surely pay taxes. But some may have gotten here just a few months ago for all we know, and why should they get help? Lines have to be drawn, and overall, it’s very bad optics to help illegal immigrants in a time when the average American is going through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

          That being said in this instance what Newsom is doing is not creating new immigration laws. He’s allocating state money, funded by taxpayers, in ways he sees fit. Do I disagree with it? Yes. But it’s not new immigration law. Therefore, the courts will not intervene in this case.

  11. Who gives him authority? The Fed’s should crack down on him. He’s just making up laws. How does somebody who works under the table don’t have a SS number get money from the GOV? How do they get money if they don’t have a Social Security CARD? Or a legal ID?

    • Ron: It’s called Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), for those undocumented workers that don’t have a Social Security card but pay taxes, and file tax returns. It’s all there for you to look up on your computer, Ron. BTW, these are millions of workers that don’t work under the table. Use your library or computer to learn and apply.

  12. You know that is not true. Nobody cares about the illegals or the undocumented. They are just being used as political pawns by both Democrats and Republicans.