URGENT: Please take action today to make sure immigrants are not left behind from COVID relief

This week, the legislature is making decisions about whether to bring S2480 for a committee hearing, and we need your help to make sure this critical legislation advances. Can you spare some time to make calls or emails today? See the script below and see attached for the full list of relevant committee members  – most important ones are pasted below.

 Assembly Speaker Assemblyman Craig J. Coughlin (732) 855-7441 asmcoughlin@njleg.org
Appropriations – Chair Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli (856) 251-9801 asmburzichelli@njleg.org

You can also use this tool to send an email to the relevant legislators: https://p2a.co/76LkQQA (english) https://p2a.co/KneIgfd   (spanish intro) or see below for a sample email.

CALL SCRIPTS

ENGLISH:

Hello, my name is _[First and Last Name]_, and I am calling today to ask Senate/Assembly member _[First and Last name of legislator]_ to put S-2480/A-4171 up for a vote in the Assembly [or] Senate Appropriations Committee. Our families are essential and we have been waiting nearly 100 days without any economic relief. This bill would help tax-paying immigrants who have not been able to access any relief. our families cannot wait any longer. Please ask Senate/Assembly member _[First and Last name of legislator]_ to support S-2480/A-4171 and put it up for a vote in this committee. Thank you.

 SPANISH:

Hola, mi nombre es _ [su Nombre y apellido] _, y hoy llamo para pedirle al legislador _[Nombre y apellido del legislador] _ que someta a votación el proyecto de ley # S-2480 / A-4171 en su Comité de Asignaciones. Nuestras familias son esenciales y hemos estado esperando casi 100 días sin ningún alivio económico. Este proyecto de ley ayudaría a muchas familias que pagan impuestos en el estado, no podemos esperar más. Pídale al legislador _ [Nombre y apellido del legislador] _ que apoye S-2480/A-4171 y lo someta a votación. Gracias.

SAMPLE EMAIL: 

Dear Legislator:

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a public health and economic crisis in New Jersey. Low-wage and immigrant workers are among the most vulnerable, particularly immigrants without an authorized federal immigration status.  Hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants and their US citizen children in NJ will not receive stimulus payments, even though many immigrants are working on the frontlines of COVID-19 and paying taxes. When immigrants lose their jobs, they are ineligible for unemployment assistance and most federal benefits if they lack a federal immigration status.

We urge you to take action now to bring  S-2480/A-4171 for a committee hearing and floor vote. This legislation will provide one time payments to undocumented immigrants who file taxes with an ITIN. The nearly half million undocumented immigrants in New Jersey pay about $600 million in state and local taxes annually in New Jersey and more than a billion dollars in federal taxes each year.

No one should be left behind.–