Legal Immigrants memo, March 12, 1998

с ТО: RLE, SLK FROM: MMK DATE: March 12, 1998 LEGAL IMMIGRANTS Eligibility for Federal Means-Tested Programs BACKGROUND The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193), more commonly known as the “welfare reform law,” ended the food stamp and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits eligibility for virtually all legal benefits. Illegal immigrants were permanently barred from the SSI and foods stamps programs. However, the Balanced Budget Act of 1 997 included a number of significant immigrant-related welfare provisions, which did evolve from the House budget resolution (H. Con. Res. 84). CBO estimated the cost of these provisions over 5 years to be SI 1 .5 billion, exceeding H. Con. Res. 84 by $2 billion. It is important to know the language of P. L. 104-193 since it does not use the terms “illegal immigrants” and “legal immigrants.” For the purposes of determining welfare benefits eligibility, immigrants are divided into two general categories: ♦ Non-qualified aliens are noncitizens, including ► illegal immigrants, ► nonimmigrants (i.e. foreign tourists or students), ► short-term parolees, ► asylum applicants, and ► other classes of aliens granted temporary permission to remain. ♦ Qualified aliens ► legal permanent residents/”greencard holders” (immigrants), ► refugees, ► alien paroled into the U.S. for at least 1 year, and ► aliens granted asylum or related relief, ► certain abused spouses and children, ►. Cuban-Haitian entrants (BBA added). President Clinton has proposed in his budget that food stamp eligibility be restored to 730,000 legal immigrants. This proposal will cost $2.43 billion over five years and cover legal aliens who entered the U.S. prior to August 22, 1996 in the following categories: ► Persons with disabilities who entered prior to August 22, 1996. ► Elderly persons entering prior to August 22, 1996. ► Hmong refugees from Laos who entered after the Vietnam War. ► Families with children regardless of date of entry. C