Undocumented workers in California are now eligible for certain tax credits under a bill Governor Gavin Newsom signed Friday.
Even though many undocumented Californians pay taxes, they haven’t been eligible for tax benefits, until now. Newsom’s signature extends tax breaks to an estimated 600,000 taxpayers without social security numbers.
The measure is part of a recent push to give tax benefits to low-income undocumented Californians.
The legislature extended some tax breaks to undocumented families with young kids earlier this summer, but this bill expands who’s eligible. Advocates say immigrant workers are more likely to have low-wage, essential jobs and have borne the brunt of layoffs since the start of the pandemic.