SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A caravan made its way to the California State Capitol to urge lawmakers to provide a relief fund for undocumented immigrants.

Fanelly Millan, who qualifies for DACA, said she’s putting her health on the line to help her family.

“I’m doing this for my parents. At the moment, they’re undocumented,” Millan said.


What You Need To Know

  • One woman hopes to persuade legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom to approve a wage replacement program

  • Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for unemployment in California

  • A caravan made its way to the State Capitol urging lawmakers to provide a relief fund for undocumented immigrants

  • Fanelly Millan and her parents migrated from Mexico to California in 1994

Millan and her family migrated from Mexico to California in 1994. They now own a construction business in Ontario.

“They pay taxes, insurance, workman’s comp, you name it, but they don’t qualify for any type of relief,” Millan said.

Since the pandemic, her parents cannot afford to get sick or take any time off of work because they don’t qualify for unemployment.

Millan traveled all the way from Southern California to Sacramento, stopping in several cities along the way, to push for a safety net supporting undocumented families through the COVID-19 crisis.

“We’re six months into a global pandemic and we don’t have time to waste. It has to happen now,” Millan said.

 

She hopes to persuade legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom to approve a wage replacement program.

“We were able to get $500 of relief during this pandemic, and we don’t think it’s enough,” Millan said. 

Millan and two others have been voluntarily participating in a hunger strike until she hears a response from lawmakers.

“Anything that I can do, I will do, even if that means putting myself on the line,” Millan said.

So far, she has not heard from the Governor or any lawmakers about this issue, but she says this won’t stop her from fighting for her family.

“People are getting infected by covid, they need to stay home. Moms need to stay home with their kids now that they’re doing online school. So, we need this wage replacement program now and it’s time for our state officials to make it happen,” Millan added.

Millan plans to return to the State Capitol as many times as it takes to get her family the relief she says they deserve.