WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) today introduced a bill that would make some families with mixed immigration statuses eligible for stimulus checks under the CARES Act.
The American Citizen Coronavirus Relief Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), would amend the CARES Act to make U.S. citizens whose spouses do not have Social Security numbers eligible for stimulus checks. The CARES Act currently requires both spouses to have a Social Security number.
However, under the amended legislation, families where both parents do not have Social Security numbers will still be ineligible for relief for any U.S. citizen children.
“Protecting families amid this crisis should be a no-brainer for lawmakers, and we are grateful to Sen. Rubio for his leadership,” said Ali Noorani, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. “This bill is a crucial first step to ensuring that all families, regardless of immigration status, get the support they need to survive and recover from this pandemic. But we continue to believe that relief for U.S. citizen children should not hinge on the immigration status of their parents.
“Immigrants — with and without Social Security numbers — are an essential part of our nation’s pandemic response. These agricultural workers, frontline medical professionals, researchers and countless more are crucial to our recovery. Lawmakers should continue advocating for families by recognizing these contributions and seeking solutions that support all mixed-status families who are paying taxes and working alongside U.S. citizens to get through this challenging time.”