CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION related to the response to the Covid-19 public health emergency; requesting that Governor Inslee create a "Washington Worker Relief Fund" to provide economic assistance to undocumented Washingtonians during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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WHEREAS, on February 29, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee declared a statewide state of emergency in response to outbreaks of the COVID-19 disease in Washington State; and
WHEREAS, in response to outbreaks of the COVID-19 disease in Seattle, Mayor Jenny Durkan proclaimed a civil emergency exists in Seattle in the Mayoral Proclamation of Civil Emergency dated March 3, 2020, as modified by Resolution 31937; and
WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, the Governor issued a "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order, which, combined with other measures taken to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, effectively closed many businesses in Washington; and
WHEREAS, on April 2, 2020, the Governor extended the "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order through May 4, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic and the "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order have led to a severe disruption of Washington's economy; and
WHEREAS, from March 7 to May 2, 2020, a total of 1,428,775 initial claims for unemployment were filed and a total of 810,538 distinct individuals filed for unemployment benefits; and
WHEREAS, undocumented workers are not eligible for unemployment insurance, even though many undocumented workers pay payroll taxes that fund Washington's unemployment insurance system; and
WHEREAS, the federal government has provided over $2 trillion dollars toward COVID-19 relief funds; and
WHEREAS, undocumented workers are not eligible for federal COVID-19 relief funds; and
WHEREAS, according to the American Immigration Council, over 250,000 undocumented immigrants live in Washington and undocumented workers comprise five percent of the state's labor force; and
WHEREAS, according to the American Immigration Council, over 130,326 childr...
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