COVID-19 Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants

During these unprecedented times, our goal here at APHCV is to assist our patients and community. Here is some information and questions you may have about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants (DRAI)

Who is eligible for DRAI funds?
DRAI funds are available to undocumented adults (over 18) who are not eligible for Federal COVID-19 assistance, such as the Federal Stimulus checks or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and who have experienced hardship due to COVID-19. There is also a limit of $1,000 of DRAI funds per household (only two adults per household can receive the $500 disaster relief assistance).

How much money can I get?
The DRAI will give a $500 check to eligible undocumented immigrants, with a limit of $1,000 per household. The funds are available on a first-come first-serve basis.

When Can I apply for DRAI funds?
Individuals can apply for DRAI funds beginning May 18th.

How can I apply for DRAI funds?
In Los Angeles County undocumented adults may contact ONLY the following three organizations, please note language capacity to refer individuals to the right organization:

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – LA (213) 241-8880 www.advancingjustice-la.org/drai   Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Farsi, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, Punjabi, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu, and Vietnamese
CARECEN (213) 315-2659 www.carecen-la.org/drai English/Spanish
CHIRLA (213) 201-8700 www.irelief.chirla.org English/Spanish

*For other counties please refer to the CDSS website’s list of organizations: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/immigration/covid-19-drai.

What can I expect from the DRAI application process?
Each non-profit organization listed above will provide site-specific information on how an individual can apply for assistance. This contact information is also available on CDSS website.

How will I receive my check?
The nonprofit organization who helped you apply will specify whether the assistance will be delivered by person pick-up or via mail. If the assistance is picked up in person, the non-profit will comply with physical distancing and other public health guidelines set by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to maximize safety.

Is the personal information provided to apply for this disaster relief assistance protected?
-The information provided to the nonprofit organizations will only be used to confirm eligibility and provide the assistance. The nonprofit organizations will provide general demographic information (e.g. age, gender, preferred language, etc.) about applicants to the State of California, but none of the personal information (e.g. name, address, etc.) provided by applicants or recipients will be given to any government agency

Will receiving this assistance make an individual a public charge?
This funding does not meet the current criteria for public charge–however, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has not issued specific guidance related to this assistance.

How is funding allocated to specific Non-profits for distribution?
The Los Angeles area has been allocated 31% of the total $75Million ($20Million) which will be distributed to some 40,000 people.

What Other Resources are Available to Me?
-Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) launched the California Immigrant Resilience Fund which seeks to raise $50 million to provide cash assistance to undocumented Californians and their families, who are ineligible for COVID-19 federal relief and state safety-net programs. The Resilience Fund is a separate but complementary effort to the State-funded DRAI Project that disburses private contributions to help undocumented Californians weather economic hardship amidst this pandemic. To see a list of organizations distributing Resilience Fund disaster assistance visit www.immigrantfundca.org/