Judicial Watch announced a lawsuit Tuesday aimed at stopping California’s illegal immigrant stimulus program, saying Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to give out $75 million in taxpayers’ money to help those in the country illegally survive the coronavirus crisis is illegal.
The conservative legal firm says federal law limits how illegal immigrants are able to obtain benefits — and specifically says that they must come through “enactment of a state law.”
In this case, Judicial Watch says, Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, is acting on his own without explicit permission from the state assembly.
“The governor has no legal authority on his own to spend state taxpayer money for cash payments to illegal aliens, and coronavirus doesn’t give him or any other politician a pass to violate the law,” said Tom Fitton, president of the group.
Mr. Newsom announced the plan last month, saying that while illegal immigrants were left out of the federal stimulus, California would step in.
He earmarked $75 million in state money, and said it would be matched by $50 million in donations from corporations and the public.
The combined $125 million will allow the state to pay $500 checks to illegal immigrants, up to a maximum of $1,000 per household. Mr. Newsom figures 150,000 people will get checks.
“Every Californian, including our undocumented neighbors and friends, should know that California is here to support them during this crisis,” he said in announcing the program. “We are all in this together.”
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.