LOS ANGELES – The Safety Net for All Coalition, a group of more than 170 immigrant and worker rights organizations from across California, called on state legislators and the governor to include unemployment benefits for excluded immigrant workers in California in the state budget. Gavin Newsom’s just released budget proposal does not include this funding. The Coalition commends Gov. Newsom on his maintenance of the Food for All and Health Care for All programs.

Undocumented immigrants contribute $3.7 billion annually in state and local taxes. Taxes on the wages of undocumented workers contribute an estimated $302 million to the Unemployment Insurance system in California each year. The Coalition submitted a budget proposal to fund the program. The $356 million investment would provide excluded immigrant workers economic security similar to other workers in California when they lose their jobs.

In a press conference in Los Angeles, dozens of leaders in the Safety Net for All coalition described the stark reality that 1 in every 17 workers in California are entirely excluded from unemployment benefits due solely to their immigration status. The budget proposal would have provided unemployed workers who are ineligible for regular unemployment insurance due to their immigration status with $300 per week for up to 20 weeks.

“Ensuring that we continue to support a Safety Net for all ensures that workers, in spite of their immigration status, are protected in situations such as natural disasters and pandemics such as COVID-19,” said Beatriz Almazan, a member of Trabajadores Unidos Workers United, who spoke at the Wednesday event. “As workers, despite our immigration status, year after year, we continue to be the economic backbone of California, continuing to contribute this the success of our state’s economy.”

Selected Reactions from the Safety Net for All Coalition:

Eddie Torres, Policy Coordinator, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice

"The Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice urgently calls for a safety net for all. Immigrant families deserve the same economic protections as everyone else. We cannot overlook the vital contribution of undocumented workers, many of which worked through the COVID-19 pandemic without the safety net of unemployment benefits. Regardless of the current state of the budget, we urge Governor Newsom to stand behind all Californians and to represent the inclusive and equitable values embedded in Safety Net for All in this year's California state budget.”

Irene De Barraicua, Policy and Communications Director, Lideres Campesinas

“At the initiation of the pandemic, the role of farmworkers as an essential and critical component to the survival of the U.S. economy was amplified. During these last four years, community-based, grassroots organizations, including Lideres Campesinas and all who make up the Safety Net For All Coalition, have been fighting to secure unemployment benefits for a labor force predominantly composed of immigrant workers who have been left out of our government’s social safety net programs. As a consequence of such exclusion, local nonprofit organizations have had to step in and work tirelessly to fill gaps related to extreme poverty. We trust that our state leaders and Governor will realize the urgency in passing this crucial legislation, thus helping preserve our essential labor force and ensuring that their human rights are met.”

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About Safety Net for All Coalition

The Safety Net for All Coalition is composed of over 170 organizations from across California. The Coalition works to expand safety net programs for excluded immigrant workers, like the unemployment benefits program.  Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.