SAN FRANCISCO, May 9, 2019 – California Reinvestment Coalition executive director Paulina Gonzalez-Brito released this statement in response to a proposal to double the CalEITC tax credit, included in Governor Newsom’s revised budget released earlier today.

“We applaud the Governor for proposing to double the CalEITC tax credit for working families, but we are deeply concerned that this proposal excludes nearly half a million immigrants who use ITINs (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) to pay their taxes. Immigrant workers and their families pay taxes and help power California’s $2 trillion economy, and yet, too often they are left out of our state’s economic growth because of inequitable state and federal policies.

The Governor should continue his leadership in standing up for immigrant families by either changing this proposal so that ITIN filers and their children (many of whom were born here and are American citizens), will also benefit from the CalEITC, or by publicly supporting Assemblymember Reyes’ bill, AB 1593, the EITC Immigrant Equity Act that would also make ITIN filers eligible for the CalEITC.

About three out of four ITIN filers live in households with children. To truly fulfill the governor’s vision of creating ‘A California for All,’ immigrant families also need to be included in this important tax credit. It’s not only the right thing to do morally, it’s good for our long term economic growth and shared prosperity.”