California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed a bill on September 28 that would have extended unemployment insurance benefits to undocumented immigrants and those in the country illegally under what was called the Excluded Workers Pilot Program. Newsom cited the price of the program as the reason for his veto.
About 140,000 undocumented workers would have been eligible for benefits under the program. The program would have allowed immigrants who could not legally work in the United States to claim up to $300 per week for a maximum of 20 weeks if applicants could prove:
- They were California residents.
- They had been unemployed for at least one week.
- They were ineligible for regular state unemployment insurance benefits.
