Guaranteed Income: Increasing Employment and Helping Families Thrive

Immigrant families significantly struggled during the pandemic as they were ineligible to receive the federal government's safety-net programs. In 2022, New Mexico started a guaranteed income program that provided $500 per month to mixed-status immigrant families, which increased well-being and improved children's educational attainments. This report details the program's implementation and provides recommendations for protecting low-wage workers from economic hardship, including extending unemployment benefits, expanding the SNAP program, creating new emergency assistance funds, and creating cash assistance programs.