Compassion for Immigrants

It is rare for a Republican president to expand a social welfare program; it is even rarer for Newt L. Gingrich to admit to making a mistake. But Americans were treated to both phenomena last week as President George W. Bush proposed to loosen eligibility laws for legal immigrants regarding the collection of federal food stamps.

Bush’s proposal would cancel a GOP policy enacted in 1996, which required legal immigrants to live in the United States for at least 10 years before becoming eligible to collect the federal food aid. At the time, the plan was defended by Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Tex.), saying that, “Immigrants should come to the U.S. with their sleeves rolled up, ready to work, not with their hands out, ready to go on welfare.” However, Gingrich, who as speaker of the House championed the Welfare Reform Act that included the stricter eligibility laws, said last week that, “In retrospect, it was wrong.” Bush’s plan would reverse the excessive 10-year requirement and restore the five-year minimum in place before the “Republican Revolution” of 1994.

Bush’s proposal is certainly well-timed. In 1996 American economic prospects were on the upswing, welfare and food stamp rolls were diminishing and a tight labor market provided jobs for America’s legal immigrants. In 2002, however, prospects are much bleaker. Unemployment is rising, and those who immigrated here less than 10 years ago find themselves without a safety net. These are hard times, and welfare rules adopted in an era of bright economic prospects when America’s economy could accommodate an expanding workforce have become even more heartless.

Yet it was hardly fair to deny food stamps to legal immigrants even in the best of times. While we believe that immigrants should come to this country ready to work, we know that immigrants—just like many other Americans—cannot always find jobs. And food stamps are not only for the unemployed, but also for the working poor, who live barely above the federal poverty line despite full-time work. Low-income parents must often work excessively long hours to maintain a basic standard of living for their families. Even under Bush’s proposal, many immigrants who work full-time will still be denied food stamps simply because they have not met the residency requirement.

Some on the right, such as Rep. Tom G. Tancredo (R-Col.), oppose the president’s plan because it might “entice people to come to the United States to be on welfare.” However, the legal immigrants the food stamp program would assist have all gone through the process of obtaining a valid U.S. visa and have demonstrated a willingness to work. It is wrong for the federal government to deny this helping hand to those desperately in need. American citizens or not, those living and working legally in the United States should be able to feed their families and maintain a minimum standard of living.

More than 800,000 legal immigrants were kicked off the food stamp rolls following the Welfare Reform Act in 1996. It is distressing to think of how many may be in desperate need now.