Pelosi: 'I myself cannot understand' why illegal immigrants can't receive COVID-19 stimulus payments

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she doesn't understand why Congress isn't allowing illegal immigrants with tax identification numbers to receive stimulus payments.

Pelosi was asked if Democrats are going to allow illegal immigrants with individual tax identification numbers (ITINs) to receive $1,200 stimulus payments as part of CARES II, the next stimulus package that Congress is debating.

"I myself cannot understand why the tax number is not the basis for how some of this money is distributed and so we'll be making that case as well," Pelosi said during a news conference.

The Democratic-led House and GOP-led Senate passed the CARES Act last month, which prohibits illegal immigrants with tax ID numbers from receiving stimulus payments.

Pelosi also said she plans to meet with congressional leaders to further discuss why "mixed status families" are not receiving stimulus payments. A U.S. citizen filing joint tax returns with a spouse who lacks a legal immigration status is unable to receive a stimulus payment in the CARES Act.

"We want to address the mixed family issue," Pelosi said.