Recovery4All Coalition Slams Legislature’ Failure to Increase Relief Dollars for Excluded NJers Fund in FY2022 Budget

Despite Unprecedented $10 Billion Surplus, Legislature Fails to Provide Additional Aid to the Nearly Half Million Individuals Excluded from Federal Relief

(Trenton, New Jersey, June 22, 2021) – Today, immigrant, community, faith and advocacy organizations that comprise the Recovery4All Coalition condemned the FY2022 budget for failing to extend additional support to the Fund for Excluded New Jerseyans  in the FY2022 budget. Nearly a half million New Jerseyans, including undocumented immigrants, their families, returning citizens and others have been left behind from unemployment, stimulus payments and other federal COVID relief. On May 7th, Gov. Murphy announced a $40 million Fund for Excluded New Jerseyans to provide one time aid to those left behind. However, the fund will only reach less than 10% of eligible people and provides only $1,000-$2,000 payments to individuals and households after more than 15 months into the pandemic.

“New Jersey’s continued exclusion of adequate funds for immigrants to recover properly from the pandemic, sends a clear message that immigrants are not valued by the state. It is abhorrent and not a true reflection of the beliefs of New Jerseyans of faith that believe all people are valuable should be treated with dignity.  As people of faith we call upon the legislature to provide our immigrant siblings the needed funds for true recovery that truly reflects our values,” said Charlene Walker, Executive Director of Faith in New Jersey.

Virgilio Aran from National Domestic Workers Alliance said, “Immigrant workers and undocumented workers are essential workers and the backbone of the fabric of New Jersey. They helped New Jersey to keep afloat in one of the most challenging times of our modern history when the pandemic Covid-19 hit our state. It is time for the elected officials to support this essential sector of our society that is vulnerable due to the inaction of our representatives.”

“We are disheartened to see that the FY22 Budget does not address the needs of thousands of excluded workers in our state. There are still far too many New Jerseyans who continue to need support in recovering from the emotional, physical and economic devastation of the pandemic – all of them unsung frontline heroes that have not received an unemployment or a stimulus payment. Not only are these workers not receiving aid, but they are part of the essential workforce which continues to go unrecognized in their selfless acts of heroism taking care of those who stayed at home during the worst moments of the pandemic. It’s time that our state provides a real relief for all essential workers,” said Kevin Brown, SEIU 32BJ.

“It is disappointing that many of NJ’s leaders continue to exclude the immigrant community, in its large numbers, essential workers, people of color, low-wage, and / or unemployed because of COVID-19. For more than a year we have demanded dignified economic relief for the affected families who still continue to live the difficulties that the pandemic has brought them. Although the governor announced a 40M fund, it’s not sufficient! Now that there is an economic surplus, it is time to include ourselves in the budget for the welfare of families and the state economy” –Rosanna Rodriguez, Co-Director, Laundry Workers Center

“Once again, the legislature has completely failed to extend relief to immigrant New Jerseyans and excluded workers who have been left behind from aid for more than 15 months. I worked throughout the pandemic at a health clinic. When I got sick and could no longer work, I could not access unemployment or stimulus payments, despite paying into the system and paying taxes over years. My family and my children suffered. Today, the legislature could have made sure that no family has to suffer without relief by fully funding the Fund for Excluded New Jerseyans using some of the $10 billion surplus. Instead, they chose to leave us behind yet again. How can our state recover from this pandemic if the humanity and dignity of so many workers is disregarded?” said Mariana Velasquez, member of Make the Road New Jersey and one of the immigrant hunger strikers.

The Recovery4All coalition has called on the state legislature to provide sufficient support for the Fund for Excluded New Jerseyans so that all people left behind from aid that are in need are able to access relief. That means $2,000 payments per excluded individual and unemployment-like benefits in the form of $600 per week payments to workers that have lost their jobs during the pandemic but do not qualify for unemployment insurance due to their immigration status. The total cost of this program is approximately $989 million.

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