Biden announces PPP changes designed to help underserved borrowers:

President Joe Biden early Monday announced a series of changes to the Paycheck Protection Program designed to make the program more accessible to underserved borrowers. The changes:

  • tarting Wednesday, only businesses with fewer than 20 employees can apply for loans for a two-week period.
  • The way loans are calculated will be revised so businesses without employees get more relief. The previous calculation — based on payroll — made the program ineffective for sole proprietors and independent contractors, including many businesses of color. The Biden administration also will set aside $1 billion in PPP loan funds for businesses without employees in low- and moderate-income areas.
  • The elimination of an exclusion that prevents business owners with non-fraud felony convictions from accessing the program.
  • The elimination of an exclusion that prevents business owners who are delinquent on federal students loans from accessing the program.
  • Non-citizen small-business owners who are lawful U.S. residents will be able to apply for loans using individual taxpayer identification numbers.

PPP, the Small Business Administration’s principal pandemic-relief program, is scheduled to run through March 31.

Recursos para inmigrantes / Immigrant Resources

  • State Hotline: 1-844-878-7801 (Trust Act Hotline)
  • Alameda County: 1-510-241-4011 (Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership for the ICE Activity Hotline. Call for rapid response and legal services.)
  • Central Valley Rapid Response Network (Fresno, San Joaquin, Merced & Kern Counties): 1-559-206-0151
  • Contra Costa County Rapid Response Network: 1-925-900-5151
  • Humboldt County Rapid Response Network: 1-707-282-5226
  • Los Angeles: 1-888-624-4752 (Coalicion for Humane immigration of Los Angeles)
  • Marin County Rapid Response Network: 1-415-991-4545
  • North Bay Rapid Response Network (Sonoma & Napa Counties): 1-707-800-4544
  • Northern & Central California SIREN (Services, Immigration Rights & Education Network): “Stay informed about upcoming actions and policy updates by joining SIREN’s Action Rapid Response Network. Community Members text SIREN to: 1-201-468-6088, Allies text SIREN to: 1-918-609-4480
  • Monterey County Rapid Response Network: 1-831-643-5225
  • Sacramento: 1-916-245-6773 (24 hour hotline for residents to call if witness to federal immigration agents conducting enforcement sweeps)
  • San Diego Rapid Response Network: (Hotline) 1-619-536-0823
  • San Francisco: 1-415-200-1548 (San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Education Network Rapid Response Network)
  • Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network: 1-408-290-1144
  • Santa Cruz County Rapid Response: 1-831-239-4289
  • PaseLaVoz: Get alerts and report on ICE activity through a FREE text alert program. PaseLaVoz is automatically activated with a simple and short call or text to: 1-415-715-9990