Colorado’s High Country tourism-driven economies makes it no stranger to seasonal layoffs.

With ski season officially in full swing, a local immigration nonprofit is reminding undocumented immigrants that financial help exists in the event of end-of-season layoffs or after circumstances where they are left unemployed through no fault of their own.

In 2022, a Colorado bill created what is known as the Benefit Recovery Fund. Colorado’s Office of New Americans, which manages the fund, said the program makes Colorado the first state in the nation to have an unemployment fund serving undocumented immigrants. 

According to the news release announcing the opening of applications, undocumented immigrants in Colorado have historically been ineligible for unemployment assistance when they lose jobs through no fault of their own, but this program was reportedly created with the intention to fix that.

Organizations like Frisco-based Mountain Dreamers help bring programs like these to the attention of the communities they serve in Summit. Staff members say Colorado’s resort towns particularly needed a service like the Benefit Recovery Fund.

“Summit County has a seasonal employment nature, and sometimes when people are laid off at the end of the season, they have the opportunity to apply for unemployment benefits. … Some workers may not be eligible for the regular unemployment benefits, and we want them to know that this option exists for them,” Mountain Dreamers Executive Director Peter Bakken said. 

The Benefit Recovery Fund provides unemployment benefits to eligible workers who receive a W-2 and have taxes withheld from their paychecks but lack work authorization. 

Direct cash payments are provided to help eligible individuals pay for things like food, shelter, healthcare, clothing and other critical needs due to a loss of employment. The program is funded by some of the dollars already paid by employers on behalf of undocumented workers.

Those over the age of 16 who have earned income and filed a W-2 in a qualified or alternative base period, generally within the last 15-18 months, can apply.

Denver-based nonprofit AidKit, which provides a technical platform for benefits disbursement programs throughout the state, was chosen as the designated administrator of the fund. The nonprofit estimates undocumented workers pay more than $400 million in taxes in Colorado.

“We have built a benefit system that puts applicant privacy first,” said Mark Newhouse, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of AidKit, in a news release. 

“It’s more than just a system. We provide access to a program previously closed to a vital part of our workforce,” he added. 

Mountain Dreamers program coordinator Yerania Reynoso said prioritizing confidentiality and ensuring no one is sharing applicants’ information with immigration authorities is paramount in encouraging people to use the program and helps give them peace of mind.

To learn more about what’s needed to apply for the Benefit Recovery Fund, visit ONA.Colorado.gov/our-work/benefit-recovery-fund. To apply, visit BFR.aidkit.org/apply.