The fund was in part a response to the CARES Act, which excluded millions of taxpaying immigrants from expanded unemployment benefits and cash payments, organizers said.
The recently passed American Rescue Plan allows households with people of mixed-immigration status to access $1,400 stimulus checks, as well as the minority of undocumented immigrants who have Social Security numbers. But workers who file taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number remain ineligible for payments.
Mundel said this expansion of stimulus eligibility and Iowa s newly opened rental assistance program have been a sign of hope for local families. The state program allows international passports as a legitimate form of ID, and the public charge rule won t affect people seeking assistance, which Mundel said makes the aid more accessible to immigrants.