Thread by @altochulo

THREAD on one of the final ways that @nygovcuomo and some legislators have been trying to gut real relief to NYers in the state budget: insisting on only including people with ITINs. (A bit wonky, but *very* important, so bear with me). #FundExcludedWorkers /1

As we speak, NY is on the cusp of creating a first-in-the-nation Excluded Worker Fund that would bring urgently needed relief to New Yorkers who have been on the frontlines of the pandemic but excluded from every form of federal and state relief. #FundExcludedWorkers /2

.@CarlHeastie and @AndreaSCousins deserve a lot of credit for putting $2.1B in their one-house budgets and holding the line against (frankly racist) attacks against this funding, while @NYGovCuomo allocated $0 and has worked to undermine. #FundExcludedWorkers /3

Now @NYGovCuomo and some of his legislative allies are trying to make it possible for most excluded workers to access that relief. One way: limiting aid to those who have ITINs (Individual Taxpayer Information Numbers). #FundExcludedWorkers /4

This would be an egregiously bad idea for several reasons. Though undocumented NYers pay $1.1B annually in state and local taxes, advocates estimate that only ~25% of excluded workers have ITINs. Why? Keep reading. #FundExcludedWorkers /5

First, think about the last four years: If you were undocumented, would you likely have come out of the shadows to give the government information about you at a time when Trump was trying everything at his disposal to attack immigrants? #FundExcludedWorkers /6

Second, even if you did apply, it’s been very hard to get. Under Trump, there was also a many-months-long backlog once people applied. #FundExcludedWorkers /7

Finally, consider COVID: to apply, you have to get help from a bank or tax preparer plus your consulate and all of those are CLOSED due to COVID and have backlogs, as well. #FundExcludedWorkers /8

In short, limiting access to desperately needed relief based on ITINs (as well as other documents that most excluded workers don’t have) will simply further exclude those who have been unjustly excluded throughout the entire pandemic. #FundExcludedWorkers /9

It’s time for NY State to ignore the attempts by @NYGovCuomo and others to cut people out of relief and move forward to #FundExcludedWorkers—with a full $3.5B fund and *no* onerous application restrictions. /10

*trying to make it IMPOSSIBLE. (Sorry, typing too fast)