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Assembly committee advances bill to protect CalWORKs benefits when family members are detained by immigration authorities
Summary
The Assembly Human Services Committee passed AB 1655 as amended to protect CalWORKs recipients from automatic grant reductions when a child or household member is unlawfully detained by federal immigration authorities, advancing the measure to the Assembly Judiciary Committee after testimony from impacted families and labor sponsors.
AB 1655, presented to the Assembly Human Services Committee by the bill's author, would clarify that unlawful immigration detention be treated as a temporary absence for CalWORKs eligibility and stop counties from reducing or terminating aid when a child or family member is taken into federal custody.
The bill's author, Assemblymember Isaac Bridal, said the measure is aimed at keeping children's basic needs covered when families are torn apart by detention and gave the example of out‑of‑state transfers that can leave families unable to reach or support a detained relative. "When families have their children kidnapped by ICE and shipped off to a detention facility miles and miles…
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