Here in California, we believe everyone belongs in our community, and during a crisis like this, no one gets left behind. But this week, we saw hundreds of thousands of undocumented folks struggling for a chance at the most basic relief. Websites and phone lines crashed across the state as families rushed to apply for the first help available to them since the outbreak of the virus.

The fund created by Governor Newsom is a crucial stopgap, but will only assist 150,000 out of 2.3 million undocumented Californians with a one-time grant smaller than most families need to survive every week. Meanwhile the need in our community is staggering. A recent UC Merced analysis found that nearly 1 in 4 pandemic job losses in California have hit non-citizen immigrants.

That’s why Assemblymember Ash Kalra and 13 other state legislators have submitted a plan to close this hole in the safety net and provide ongoing weekly income support for undocumented workers and their families.

We’re facing a difficult budget and attacks from anti-immigrant extremists. Our legislators need to hear from us that all Californians should be able to shelter, nourish, and care for their loved ones through this difficult time.

Email your representative to tell them California leaves no one behind in a pandemic.