ARE THEY ELIGIBLE FOR FOOD STAMPS? No. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP,is available for U.S. citizens or “an eligible, lawfully-present non-citizen,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the program. “Non-citizens who are eligible based on their immigration status must also satisfy other SNAP eligibility requirements such as income and resource limits to receive SNAP benefits.”
CAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS GET SOCIAL SECURITY? No. But, “a non-citizen may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if he or she meets the requirements of the laws for non–citizens that went into effect on Aug. 22, 1996,” according to the Social Security Administration. That is when the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 -- welfare reform -- was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Beginning on that date, “most non-citizens must meet two requirements to be potentially eligible for SSI:
They must be in a qualified non-citizen category;
They must meet a condition that allows qualified non-citizens to get SSI.
Examples include a refugee or someone granted asylum. See more on the government website.
CAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS GET MEDICAL CARE? To begin with, hospitals that receive federal funding are required to treat emergency cases, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay. So if a pregnant woman walks in, for example, the hospital will deliver the baby.CAN THEY ATTEND U.S. SCHOOLS? Yes. Children who are illegal immigrants can attend public schools. A 1982 Supreme Court decision, Plyler v. Doe, tossed out a Texas law withholding state funds for the education of children not legally admitted into the country. The court found the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
The equal protection clause “prohibits states from denying any person within its territory the equal protection of the laws,” according to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute.
To know more:
Related:
Child refugees: U.S. on wrong side of history
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