Governor Phil Murphy last week delivered a budget address for Fiscal Year 2023, outlining his goals and numerous programs for New Jersey.
Included in the governor’s proposed budget is a one-time, $53 million fund that would give illegal immigrants residing in New Jersey $500 each as pandemic relief.
The fund is an addition to the Excluded New Jerseyans Fund, which aims to provide pandemic relief to individuals who were ineligible from receiving federal funding, such as illegal immigrants.
The Excluded New Jerseyans Fund received more than $35,000 applications for grants up to $4,000. The fund expired at the end of February, but the state is still processing applications that were submitted to the fund.
Thus far, almost 4,600 applications equaling nearly $11 million in benefits have been approved, and about 31,000 applications are still being considered.