California's first-of-its-kind effort to get cash aid into the hands of undocumented workers affected by the coronavirus got off to a bumpy start over the past week.No separation of church and state for you !
Across the state, tens of thousands of immigrants calling to apply encountered busy signals, crashed phone lines and frustration.
"People are desperate right now," says Christopher Martinez, the chief program officer for Catholic Charities of the East Bay, "that's why they're reaching out. And they're very worried that these funds will run out quickly. But we're just asking people to keep trying."
Catholic Charities is one of a dozen nonprofit and immigrant rights groups the state of California has partnered with to try to reach workers who are living here illegally. Many are doing work that qualifies as an essential work, but their status makes them ineligible for federal pandemic relief as well as most state and local relief.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Catholic Charities is one of a dozen nonprofit and immigrant rights groups the state of California has partnered with ... New California Relief Program for Undocumented Overwhelmed By Demand
NPR reports: