By Jen Fifield, Alison Steinbach | Arizona Republic
Immigrants without permanent legal status in the U.S. are eligible for the housing and utility assistance programs Phoenix created for those hurt by COVID-19, a federal court ruled Wednesday.
The judgeruled that Phoenix is not allowed to exclude “unqualified aliens” such as undocumented immigrants from its federally funded COVID-19 relief programs by requiring applicants to show proof of legal status.
The court ordered the city to allow non-U.S. citizens to apply for and receive aid from its programs.
The CARES act was meant to help people, period. Many non-citizens were excluded from housing aid and assistance by virtue of their non-US citizen status, yet many of these same people are essential workers on the front line of our economy. No one should have been precluded from this federal aid just because they had a green card, TPS status, asylum or DACA status instead of US Citizenship, as this court ruling correctly decided.
Darius Amiri, Rose Law Group Immigration Dept. Chair
