SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Today, lawmakers in Sacramento consider funding for a bill to open up the state food assistance program to all needy Californians, regardless of their immigration status.

The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services will decide whether to approve funds for the "Food4All" bill, Senate Bill 464.

Benyamin Chao, health and public benefits campaign coordinator for the California Immigrant Policy Center, who came to the U.S. as a child from Brunei, said it was very hard for his mom, raising four kids on her own, to feed her family since she didn't qualify for benefits.

"It put a huge burden on my mom to work extra hours under the table, or working as a caregiver," Chao recounted. "It put a huge strain on her health, because she had to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week."

Opponents object to spending taxpayer dollars on non-citizens.

A legislative analysis estimated the bill would make up to one million low-income people newly eligible for the California Food Assistance Program, and could cost up to $100 million a year, although full participation is considered unlikely.

The program is the state-funded counterpart to CalFresh, which is part of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program formerly known as food stamps.

Jared Call, senior advocate with the nonprofit anti-hunger group Nourish California, believes any funds spent on food assistance will save the state much more down the line.

"Good nutrition helps prevent and mitigate chronic diet-related disease," Call explained. "That's fewer trips to the doctor, fewer trips to the hospital, fewer needs for medications. That brings down health care costs for the overall system."

Advocates hope Gov. Gavin Newsom will include funds for the Food4All program in his May budget revision, due this Friday.

With the Randall's Island Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center closing, immigrant advocates want the other such centers closed, too.

The centers were built to accommodate the influx of migrants from the southern border but they have been decried for poor health and safety conditions. Some Congressional leaders consider the Floyd Bennett Field relief center a disaster.

Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said the city's shelter system is better equipped to help newly arriving migrants despite its imperfections.

"It is a system that has an infrastructure and staffing as well as facilities that they can use that are appropriate to shelter individuals seeking a place to stay while they get on their feet," Awawdeh pointed out.

However, shelters have been inundated with migrants since day one. New estimates showed 64,000 migrants spread across 200 of New York City's shelters. Awawdeh noted Randalls Island itself presented challenges for migrants since there is little access to public transportation or necessary services. He stressed from here, the conversation for migrants and other New Yorkers in shelters must center around their ability to assimilate into life in the city and thrive.

Another challenge migrants are dealing with is anti-immigrant policies from Mayor Eric Adams. One rule he issued limited migrant and asylum-seekers' shelter stays to 30 to 60 days. Awawdeh argued repealing the limits could improve migrant outcomes.

"We should be removing the 30- and 60-day limit so that people who actually need additional support are getting it," Awawdeh contended. "Then once they get that support more than likely they will be getting out on their own two feet being able to fully integrate within the city."

A New York City Comptroller report showed the rule's implementation was disorganized because other services migrants need are inadequate.


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Amid the ongoing debate on immigration, a new report showed how much immigrants boost Virginia's economy.

The report, "Immigrants Are a Vital Part of Virginia's Future," revealed immigrants contribute more than $100 billion to the state's economy and are essential to critical industries such as health care, technology and hospitality.

Freddy Mejia, policy director at the Commonwealth Institute, which helped publish the report, said immigrants are a key part of many industries.

"Sixteen percent of Virginia workers are immigrants and 34% of all chefs, 44 % of all computer engineers in Virginia and 28% of child care workers," Mejia outlined. "Immigrants are playing a vital role in feeding our community, in raising children."

The Immigration Research Initiative and Economic Policy Institute also contributed to the report. The findings come as immigration policies remain a hot-button issue, with critics expressing concerns over job competition and resource allocation.

Critics have argued undocumented immigrants are a strain on public services, yet Mejia pointed out the report highlighted undocumented immigrants, while paying taxes, often cannot access many public resources due to their legal status.

"That group in particular is paying into a system that does not allow them to participate in many of those uh, critical resources that many of us rely on," Mejia explained. "I think that's just important to note."

The report made several policy recommendations, particularly focusing on improving health care access and educational opportunities for immigrant children. Mejia added as Virginia's population ages, immigrants will play an increasingly important role in sustaining the state's economic growth.


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Immigration boosts the economy - in Colorado and across the U.S. But new policies are needed to maximize gains and make it harder for employers to abuse workers, according to a new Colorado Fiscal Institute study which found that each year, immigrants generate $54 billion in state economic output.

Despite widespread claims that immigrants are coming to take jobs from U.S.-born Americans, Sophie Shea, policy analyst with the Colorado Fiscal Institute, argues that immigration actually increases opportunities for all Coloradans.

"Research shows, study after study, that there is no fixed number of jobs in the state. When immigrants move to Colorado, the economy grows. That doesn't mean fewer jobs, that means more jobs," she said.

More than a half-million Colorado immigrants work in low-wage, middle-wage and higher-wage jobs. They are nursing assistants, cooks and software developers. Nearly one in five small businesses in the state was launched by immigrants, creating jobs for U.S.-born and new residents alike.

The report also shows how immigration has led to better, not worse, wages for U.S.-born workers.

Immigration has come under increasing scrutiny, fueled in large part by misinformation. Immigrants are tapping taxpayer-funded programs like food stamps, for example. Undocumented immigrants are not currently eligible for safety net programs. But in 2022, they contributed over $436 million in state and local taxes, a number Shea says could be higher if Congress reforms outdated immigration laws.

"If those workers were granted work authorization, that number would increase their state and local tax contribution to $537.8 million. So, that's a $100 million boost," she contended.

Colorado's working-age population is declining at the same time that Baby Boomers are exiting the workforce. Shea believes immigrants will be critical for blunting the impacts of this labor shortage and ensuring that older Coloradans can retire with dignity.

"So, it is really is very important that we are investing now, before we see those large gaps continue to grow, in welcoming and incorporating immigrants to our state, " she continued.


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