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New Jersey is reallocating 85% of the $40 million fund it set aside for immigrants and other residents excluded from Covid-related aid. Only about $6 million was distributed to 2,600 applicants by Dec. 31, which was the deadline to use federal coronavirus relief money. The remaining $34 million from the fund has been re-appropriated to eligible state expenses, including payroll or other departmental costs incurred during the pandemic. Gothamist
In other local immigration news…
South Queens Women’s March Asks Republicans to Uphold Voting Rights Legislation
The South Queens Women’s March is urging Republican lawmakers to stop their opposition to a law allowing noncitizens in New York City to vote in local elections. They affirm that allowing lawful permanent residents and those with work authorizations to vote will help create a more inclusive, equitable city. A law passed on Jan. 8 allows lawful permanent residents and people authorized to work in the U.S. who have spent 30 consecutive days or more in New York City to vote in municipal elections, but Republicans have sued to stop it. QNS
Victims of Bronx Fire to Receive $2 Million Fund, Immigration Legal Assistance
Victims of last week’s fire in the Bronx, many of them immigrants, will receive a $2 million fund from New York state. Each household will also get $2,250 in prepaid debit cards as immediate relief. The fund will be used to provide tenants with critical household needs, case management services, personal property replacement, and relocation and rental assistance. New York states’s Emergency Needs for the Homeless Program will collaborate with BronxWorks, a nonprofit organization, to distribute the aid. The state is also working to provide immigration legal assistance to those impacted by the fire. CNN
