Texas judge says illegal immigrants should have universal basic income, claims it is part of a ‘duty’ to ‘reduce poverty’

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo made the claims on Tuesday during a vote on the Uplift Harris pilot program, introduced by Harris County Democrats, which would give $500 monthly payments to 1,500 illegal immigrant families under the American Rescue Plan Act.

"And so what we do is we pick the ten poorest neighborhoods. Can the undocumented community apply? If the county attorney says they can, they will. If the county attorney says they can’t, they won't. What I was told is they can," Hidalgo said, the progressive county judge.

Hidalgo called out Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who is in opposition to the program, and berated him for "interrupting a woman."

"Excuse me Commissioner, you take a liking to interrupting the women, so let me finish and let the director finish," Hidalgo said.

She added, "If we're just looking to delay the vote on this, just vote no, Commissioner. We all know you’ve got a bone to pick with certain folks."

The universal basic income program, which is likely to pass due to the Democrat majority, would be allotted to individuals living below 200 percent of the poverty line.

The far-left judge said in a statement, "It is uncivilized that we live in a society where people cannot afford basic necessities. As county leaders, we have a duty to employ all the tools that we can to reduce poverty. This pilot program will support the people that work incredibly hard day and night but still need an uplift."

"Let’s be honest about the conversations that we have. Now we’re having conversations about the money that goes toward the poor. So why did we give $5 million, $6 million to the district attorney that she spent without the court’s initial approval at the objection of the budget director that put us into a deficit? Why didn’t we give that to the poor? What about the funds to the courtrooms that put us on the desks here? Why didn’t we give that to the poor? So if you don't like this program, Commissioner, if you don't like the female director, just vote no for it," Hidalgo said.

The proposed UBI comes as illegal immigrants flood through the US-Mexico border as a result of the Biden administration's open-border policies, which have created an existential humanitarian crisis.