While California Gov. Gavin Newsom blocked an attempt to provide mortgage assistance to illegal immigrants, the state is considering a proposal to give illegal immigrants access to phone discounts.
If California moves ahead with the proposal, it would be the first state in the country to offer such discounts.
The big picture: California LifeLine currently subsidized phone bill discounts for low-income residents.
- The California Public Utilities Commission will vote on the proposal on Sep. 26, which would eliminate the requirement for applicants to have social security numbers, opening the door for illegal immigrants.
- The program gives low-income residents up to $19 off their monthly cell phone service and up to $39 off for a phone service connection.
What they’re saying: “If an undocumented Californian falls on hard times, they should benefit from this program, just like every other Californian,” CPUC President Alice Reynolds told POLITICO.
Flashback: The upcoming vote comes shortly after Newsom vetoed Asm. Joaquin Arambula’s (D–Fresno) program to open up the California Dream for All Program to illegal immigrants.
- Arambula’s proposal would have provided illegal immigrants who met certain standards – such as having social security numbers – and who were accepted by the program with up to $150,000 in downpayment assistance.
- But Newsom has warned his fellow California Democrats to not push for policies that would make the Golden State an easy target for former President Donald Trump. Despite his warnings, Democrats widely supported Arambula’s proposal in the Legislature, drawing widespread national media attention.
