California considers first-in-the-nation phone discounts for undocumented immigrants
Many national Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, have taken a rightward turn on immigration and border safety.
California is considering a proposal, a nation-first. It would allow some undocumented migrants to access a government-run program that offers discounts on phone bills. The timing of the proposal is awkward.
A vote is scheduled to take place on Sept. 26. The state would then no longer require social security numbers for California LifeLine. This program subsidizes the phone bills of low-income residents. California’s Public Utilities Commission had agreed to remove the requirement ten years ago, but never implemented it.
Alice Reynolds, President of the California utilities commission, said, “If a Californian without documentation falls on hard time, they should be able to benefit from this program just like everyone else in California.”
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The vote is coming as many national Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, have taken a rightward turn on immigration and border protection to neutralize an electoral weakness that Republicans and the former President Donald Trump tried to exploit in the run-up to Election Day.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has warned California’s Democratic Legislature over the last year not to fire cannons at Republicans during an election year. He also pleaded with them to tread lightly on hot-button topics like youth tackle football bannings.
Trump has tried to link Harris’ liberal approach in her home state on issues such as crime, despite the fact that Harris hasn’t held a statewide California office since 2020.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, told POLITICO that “President Trump does not agree with Kamala Harris and believes illegal immigrants should receive discounts or benefits.” Only hardworking Americans who are struggling to make ends meet in an unaffordable economic climate should be eligible for such assistance.
Harris kept the focus off California in Tuesday’s debate, by going on offense and agitating Trump over sore points like crowd size. She was relatively unaffected by the immigration debate, praising her efforts as California’s Attorney General to prosecute transnational criminal gangs. Trump on the other hand repeated false claims about Haitian immigrants eating household pets in Ohio.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that Newsom’s message is reaching the Democrats in Sacramento. State legislators have continued to support policies that give undocumented immigrant access to government resources. Last month, lawmakers passed bills that would grant immigrants access home loan assistance and student jobs on campus.
Newsom vetoed last week the bill extending the home loan program, calling it “unnecessary”. This is especially true in an economic climate where the state has limited funds.
Reynolds and advocacy organizations insist that the proposal of the utilities commission to allow undocumented migrants to receive phone bill discounts was not about politics, but rather fairness. The Lifeline subsidy is funded by a surcharge placed on the monthly phone bill of state residents. This means that undocumented migrants with an existing line are paying for a benefit they cannot use.
Ashley Salas of the independent consumer advocacy group The Utility Reform Network framed this as a matter of public safety: “If a low-income person without a Social Security number sees a fire and can’t dial 911, it hurts everyone else in the community.”
Some conservatives remain skeptical. Brian Dahle is a Republican state senator who represents a rural district of northeastern California. He said that he was concerned about undocumented migrants who have recently arrived in the U.S. signing up for LifeLine discount without contributing to the program.
Dahle said: “If you are down on your luck, and we want to help you, but not give you a free handout, then I am for it.” “But why continue to burden the taxpayers with the cost of giving assistance to those who have not paid into the system?” Dahle asked. I’m opposed.”
California LifeLine offers residents of low-income states participating in the program up $19 off their cell service monthly, up $39 off an installation fee for a phone connection, and exemptions from certain state, federal, and local fees. California LifeLine is offered in conjunction with a federal LifeLine program that gives customers an extra $9.25 per month off their bill.
Immigrants who are undocumented and apply for LifeLine will still be required to present another form of ID, such as a passport from a different country or a drivers license.
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