Democrat presidential candidate Andrew Yang told Breitbart News on Friday at the Iowa State Fair that only U.S. citizens would receive the $1,000 a month he pledges to give to Americans if elected.
Breitbart News asked, “Mr. Yang, does the thousand dollars a month go to people who are in the country illegally as well?”
“It goes to citizens,” Yang said. “So it would not go to undocumented immigrants.”
The money also would not be given to people who are legal permanent residents, just citizens.
But Yang said he believes people who are in the country illegally should have a “pathway to citizenship.”
“But I am for a long-term path to citizenship for people who are in this country and who want to become citizens over time,” Yang said.
“Hopefully, it would be an incentive for people to adopt citizenship,” Yang said, “particularly if they’re here permanently.”
Yang explained his idea for a “freedom dividend” on his website:
Andrew would implement the Freedom Dividend, a universal basic income of $1,000/month, $12,000 a year, for every American adult over the age of 18. This is independent of one’s work status or any other factor. This would enable all Americans to pay their bills, educate themselves, start businesses, be more creative, stay healthy, relocate for work, spend time with their children, take care of loved ones, and have a real stake in the future.
The website said the monthly stipend would increase over time to “keep up with the cost of living,” but any other change would require a constitutional amendment.
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