Why Should Immigrants Be Eligible For Welfare?

There are currently 11 million illegal aliens residing in the US.  State governments spend an estimated 11 to 22 billion dollars supporting immigrants. It is very disturbing that immigrants make up 11% of our population, even more upsetting is they are 20% of the poor population. When most immigrants come to this country, they are coming from a poor country to increase the quality of their lives. Many of the immigrants are much poorer than our native citizens. Unfortunately these immigrants are often not qualified or do not want to work. Increasing our impovershed population.
18% of immigrant households are below the poverty level, while only 11% of native households are below the poverty level. More immigrant households (21%) take advantage of our welfare system than do our native households (15%). That is 43% higher.

Immigrants coming here legally must pass a public charge test. They must have a US sponsor who pledge their income to support them. Before receiving an immigration visa the potential immigrant is supposed to be evaluated by American Consular Officers, to determine if he or she will become a public charge. If deemed to become a public charge their visa is denied. The sponsor must have an income only 25% higher than the poverty level. (The government defines poverty as an annual income of $22,025 for a family of four, $17,163 for a family of three and $14,051 for a family of two.)



Unbelievably refugees, asylees and all amnestied illegal aliens are exempt from the public charge requirement. Guess what? We The People will be become their sponsors, since Congress decided we will pick up their support bill. (Immigration and Nationality Act § 237A(5).)
Go figure, as an example a sponsor has an income of 200% above the poverty level, he is considered not legally poor. Then his income is split with the immigrant now they each are at the 100% poverty level. Eligibility for some welfare programs kicks in before the 125% level so immigrants and sponsors can be eligible for welfare.
Since food stamps, pre-natal care, nutrition programs, housing assistance, energy assistance, job training programs, child care services, free or discounted school lunch, public shelters, health clinics, Medicaid and cash welfare programs that are not the family's sole source of income are not considered under the public charge test.
Immigrants here legally cannot receive federal means-tested public benefits for 5 years, furthermore they cannot receive SSI or food stamps until they obtain citizenship.
Regardless of their immigration status, immigrants are eligible for school breakfast and lunch programs. The can receive immunizations, emergency medical care, disaster relief and other assistance that is deemed necessary to protect life and safety as identified by the attorney general.

Illegal immigrants cannot obtain any of the following federal public benefits: grants, contracts,licenses, loans, retirement, welfare, health, disability, public or assisted housing, secondary education, food assistance and unemployment. Unless a state law is enacted they are barred from providing state or locally funded benefits to illegal immigrants.

It is very disturbing that immigrants make up 11% of our population, even more upsetting is they are 20% of the poor population.
It's obvious we need to do something to slow down the immigration rate. The illegals are coming across the Mexico Border at a rapid pace. Living in West Texas I have had the opportunity to know a few illegals. One I can honestly say is married to an American and has 2 children born here. He received 17 DWI's over the years, has been deported back to Mexico on numerous occasions, only to return a few months later illegally. Finally he was put in prison for 2 years. On his release he was deported again. He is now back with a legal green card. Look at the expense this one man has incurred on us and we welcome him back legally.

Instead of worrying about putting our citizens back to work, the Obama administration issued 1,130,818 green cards. Mexico citizens were issued 164,920 green cards. We see these workers coming over here, many of them can not speak English, therefore companies have to hire translators. The jobs over a million foreigners obtained could have been given to legal, Native Americans. Does Obama not know the unemployment rate is nearing the 10% mark and the under-employed (Peoply who have quit looking for work) is around 17%.

It is apparent this administration is doing nothing to decrease the unemployment rate. Some members in Congress are suggesting proposals that will only make matters worse for this Country. Believe it or not they think we should increase legal immigrants eligibility for benefits! An amnesty act is likely to be forced on us this year. According to the CBO an estimated $2.24 billion would be added if they are made eligible for Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program.
It is my belief we have to discontinue being so liberal with the immigrants coming into this Country. We are bringing people in legally, and they know we will take care of them. We have to close our doors to some of these people. If they come here and can not make a living for themselves and their families they should be deported. Our laws must be revised to exclude them from becoming a burden.

Deanie
The Federation for American Immigration

Lawmakers are saying Don't Know - Don't Care

In these days when we are facing very serious problems with Big Government, it is becomming apparent that our great leaders do not know or care about the Constitution of the United States of America. Our elected officials on both sides are forgetting the values for which they were elected. Following are just a few recent examples about the lack of knowledge or disrespect for our Constitution.

Article 1, Section 1 of our Constitution states "All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives." I agree some citizens may not know this answer off the top of their head, listen to what long time Representative of New Jersey, Frank LoBiondo (R)  had to say at a local town hall. He thinks it is "The Right To Free Speech." Everyone knows that is the First Amendment to the Constitution. Watch as a True Patriot questions him. You will not believe the Representatives response.

"I don't worry about the Constitution on this to be honest," are the words used by US Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill). when confronted by a constituent on the Constituitionality of Obamacare. He went on to say, "I believe it says we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." He was quickly informed his statement is in the Declaration of Independence. Hare responded with "Doesn't matter to me. Either one." Later when confronted with the same question all he could say was "I don't know. I don't know."  Video

At a Tea Party rally in Nov of 2009 Rep. John Boehner (R-Oh), House Minority Leader, addressed the crowd holding his pocket copy of the Constitution. As he was pledging to "stand here with our Founding Fathers, who wrote in the pre-amble: 'We hold these truths to be self evident ..." Those words are the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence, not the Preamble to the Constitution.  Video

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich) was recently confronted by CNSNews with the following, “The individual mandate in the bill requires individuals to purchase health insurance. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has said that never before in the history of the United States has the federal government required any one to purchase any goods or service. What part of the Constitution do you think gives Congress the authority to mandate individuals to purchase health insurance?”

Conyers replied “Under several clauses, the good and welfare clause and a couple others. All the scholars, the constitutional scholars that I know -- I’m chairman of the Judiciary committee, as you know -- they all say that there’s nothing unconstitutional in this bill and if there were, I would have tried to correct it if I thought there were.”
The word "good" only appears once in the Constitution, in Article 3, Section 1, which deals with the Judicial Branch, not the powers of Congress.

In December Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was asked "..where specifically does the Constitution grant Congress the authority to enact an individual health insurance mandate?" A very agitated Pelosi only responded with "Are you serious? Are you serious?" She then went on to answer another question.

The leaders should know what our Constitution says and the meaning of it, it is their job. It is very sad to think we elect officials to uphold our Constitution and We The People Know more about it than they do. As there is so much discrepency about this subject I feel all elected officials should be given a Constitutional Knowledge test at least once a year. This may sound childish but if they do not know and uphold the Constitution of our country we will continue down the road to Socialism.

Very soon we will no longer have the Freedoms we enjoy now, there will be no Constitution to uphold, we will be under the jurisdition of the Progressive Comunists. Attend town hall meetings with candidates for office, question them about the Constitution and their beliefs. If they can't or won't answer your questions, let everyone know about it. If they answer wrong, stand up and tell them and the world about it,  just as the man in the first example did.
These leaders showed complete lack of disrespect and concern for the Constitution and the Citizens of the United States of America.

Vote this November for Change We Can Really Believe In.

Deanie