Immigrants and Benefits

Your article “Immigrants and Welfare” (March 22) contains several inaccuracies that demand clarification. You cite GAO data that compares the receipt of AFDC and SSI benefits by immigrants (6%) with that of U.S. citizens (3.4%).

Although making the important point that political refugees are much more likely to receive public benefits than other immigrants, your article doesn’t explain that the GAO’s study lumps immigrants and refugees together in their calculations for receipt of AFDC and SSI. Using almost identical methodology, the Urban Institute did an assessment of the receipt of all major public benefits by immigrants and refugees (“Immigration and Immigrants--Setting the Record Straight,” May 1994), but took the important step of separating the two groups. When viewed separately, only 2.6% of non-refugee legal immigrants (recently arrived and long-term residents) receive public assistance, while 15% of refugees (less than one-fifth of the immigrant population) receive aid. Combining the two figures skews the facts and perpetuates the misconception that immigrants abuse the welfare system.

According to California Department of Finance figures for 1992, although legal immigrants make up 22% of the state’s population, only 12% of AFDC recipients are immigrants. In addition, in 1993 the California Senate Office of Research determined that only 3.8% of California’s long-term immigrants received welfare, Social Security and other types of assistance, compared with 4.1% of native households.

It is also important to note that the CBO’s estimated savings of $21.4 billion by denying AFDC to lawful immigrants represents less than 3% of the more than $900 billion five-year budget of the affected programs.

LINA AVIDAN

Director of Public Policy

Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee

Rights & Services, San Francisco

I am a Canadian citizen, and have resided in the U.S. legally for 15 years. Although this point was briefly mentioned in the article, I’d like to remind your readers that as a legal permanent resident, I am subject to all federal, state, and local laws and all taxes, including property, income, SDI, payroll, sales and any others you could possibly list. Therefore, I am equally entitled to benefit from those programs into which I have paid.

I resent the constant implication currently so fashionable that people such as myself are to blame for America’s troubles. It’s bad enough that I can’t vote, even though I pay just as much or more taxes than some citizens who never even work.

If this legislation passes, I certainly will expect to be relieved of those portions of my taxes that currently pay into Social Security, welfare and any other programs from which I would be denied benefit. And I will be eagerly awaiting my check refunding 15 years worth of those programs’ tax contributions, with interest.

SHANNON AHERN IKEDA

Monterey Park