Noah Eckstein reports for Columbia-Greene Media that activists from the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement nonprofit were among more than 1,000 workers, community members, and elected officials protesting in Albany March 23 for funding for undocumented immigrants, and self-employed workers in this year's state budget. “The Excluded Workers Fund was life-changing for those who received it, but in upstate New York, too many were left out,” said Iridian Lucas-Garcias, Excluded Workers Fund regional implementation coordinator of the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement. “It was heartbreaking to call community members to inform them that funds were closed and there would be no relief for them this year.” The Excluded Workers Fund was created in last year's state budget, and 130,000 New Yorkers received $2.1 billion in benefits. But that's all gone, and unless state legislators reup the program, those workers are out of luck. The state budget should be set up April 1. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.