A report by the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) found that part of the $4.4 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF), which was created by the American Rescue Plan Act and intended to help state and local governments with their COVID response and recovery, was sent to illegal immigrants instead.

"The $340 million project is categorized as a 'cash transfer' expenditure under the SLFRF, approved for the State of Washington. This means the Biden Administration directly subsidized 'undocumented' immigration under the guise of COVID-19 pandemic relief," the EPIC report said.

From Fox News:

The report from the group, which calls for a smaller federal government, highlighted how $340 million in funding went to a program that sent $1,000 checks to illegal immigrants in the state. The funds, approved by the Washington state legislature in April 2021, provided "another round of funding for undocumented Washingtonians," according to an impact report on the program said.

The Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund was first set up in 2020 to grant checks to those ineligible for government assistance programs due to their immigration status. Treasury documents confirm that the state has since provided an extra $340 million in federal relief funds for the one-time cash grants, with 10% of the funding went to community-based organizations to administer the program. 

The last of the fund's payments went out in 2023.

State official defended the move, claiming the fund was an opportunity "to help people who may have been left out of other federal and state resources to address the economic impact of the pandemic."

The report also highlighted several other projects where federal funds were used to support illegal aliens, including programs in Arizona for art, music and dance classes for migrants and expansion of shelters in Massachusetts.