Denham Springs lawmaker writes bill targeting immigrants to ‘deter theft of our LA tax dollars’

Louisiana Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, attends a committee meeting on Aug. 19, 2020. (Photo by Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)

“State Rep. Valarie Hodges has introduced a bill targeting immigrants that could make it more difficult for Louisianans to claim dependents on their annual tax returns, particularly those of lower-income with children studying abroad.” Hodges, R-Denham Springs, introduced a similar bill in 2019, that per her website, “would have deterred the theft of our LA tax dollars by requiring that the taxpayer certify in the filing process that the dependent they are claiming actually does qualify as a legal citizen of Louisiana.” Hodges also says “Louisiana has more than 1,000 undocumented immigrants who are “enrolling in our schools” and standing “in line for public assistance.”

“We believe that the bill is a thinly veiled effort to bolster anti-immigrant sentiment and validate the belief that undocumented workers are unfairly drawing on governmental benefits to which they are not entitled,” said Andrea Agee, staff attorney at Loyola Law’s Workplace Justice Project, an organization that fights for fair wages for the immigrant community and against employers who try to steal their wages. “Beyond that, the bill is unnecessary, as undocumented individuals are already barred from receiving the EITC as it requires the taxpayer to be a U.S. Citizen or a resident alien (for the entire year) with a social security number.”

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