According to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a new plan would let illegal immigrants get a universal basic income.
According to the Harris County Democrats’ Uplift Harris pilot program, 1,500 households could each get $500 per month for 18 months from the $20.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act money. On Tuesday, when the scheme was put to a vote, supporter Hidalgo argued in favor of compensating both low-income residents and “the undocumented group.”
“So we choose the 10 most impoverished neighborhoods. Can those without legal status apply? They’re going to if the county lawyer believes they could. They will not if the county attorney decides they can’t. They can, according to what I had been told,” Hidalgo stated.
She also reacted angrily to Adrian Garcia, a commissioner for Harris County, for what she saw as his unfair actions.
Hidalgo responded, “Please excuse me, Commissioner, you like to disturb the women, so allow me to continue and let the director complete.