Why some U.S. citizens do not qualify for the federal stimulus check

EL PASO, Texas -- Andrez Saiz was born and raised in the United States and currently lives in El Paso. Recently, he was furloughed from his job as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the $1,200 stimulus check was something he was looking forward to.

After checking the status of his check, he realized he would not be receiving one and didn't understand why.

Saiz did his research and discovered he did not qualify for the stimulus check because he is married to an undocumented immigrant, who is near the end of the legal immigration process.

"I think that who you married should not disqualify you, as the American in the relationship, from getting the stimulus," said Saiz. "We all pay taxes, we all pay into the system."

According to the Migration Policy Institute, more than 1.2 million undocumented immigrants are married to U.S. citizens.

The deputy director of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, Christina Garcia, told ABC-7 that if one member of the household uses an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, which is used for tax filers who do not have a social security number, the entire household does not qualify for the stimulus money.

This includes their children, who would have been an additional $500 per child on top of the $1,200.

"It does impact people that are U.S. citizens, students, family units individuals who are legal permanent residents who have a social security cards," said Garcia.

There is no clear answer as to why these U.S. citizens do not qualify, but a report from the New York Times called it a provision that received little attention when congress drafted the bill.

The Times also states, a Republican senator who helped draft the bill said spouses of undocumented immigrants who filed their taxes separately would be eligible; However, immigrants are often advised to filed their taxes with their spouse to further prove the legitimacy of their marriage.

Garcia encouraged anyone in this situation to seek legal guidance or contact Las Americas.