Should undocumented immigrants be permitted to receive governmental aid

¶ … government aid to undocumented workers in the United States. The writer explores the issues surrounding the topic and argues that providing government aid to illegal immigrants would be a costly and inappropriate thing to do. There were six sources used to complete this paper.

The topic of illegal immigrants is becoming more heated with each passing month. As politicians line up on either side of the immigration camp, voters' voices are becoming louder regarding the immigrant presence and their desire to become documented without going through the normal methods. Many people point to government programs and believe that illegal immigrants will drain those programs if they are allowed to obtain benefits, while supporters of giving benefits to those immigrants say it will provide them with the ability to survive while getting on their feet which in the end is a winning situation for America. Currently there are over 12 million undocumented workers in the United States according to recent surveys. The majority of those immigrants are in America from Mexico but they also come from across the sea, and to the north out of Canada. While America has prided itself since its inception on welcoming the poor, the sick and the huddled masses, it has reached a point where enough is enough. It is time to say no to providing government benefits of any kind to undocumented workers and encourage those immigrants to go back to their home nation, file the proper paperwork and come into the nation with their head held high and the right to participate in all this country has to offer, including government programs.

THE FACTS

The growth rate of illegal immigrants cannot be denied. Less than a decade ago there were an estimated five million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Today that has more than doubled (Brinkley, 1997).

Until recently illegal immigrants were allowed to apply for and receive government benefits including welfare, however there are several government programs that they are not allowed to take part in. Illegal workers are not allowed to collect unemployment insurance, nor are they covered under any state workers' compensation plan if they get hurt on a job (Hallye, 1996).

Ten years ago California Governor Pete Wilson made national headlines as one of the leaders in cutting off welfare benefits to illegal immigrants. At the time California had the highest number of undocumented workers in the nation. Wilson cited his displeasure at allowing people to break the law by entering the nation illegally then rewarding them by providing cash, food stamps and medical benefits to them and their families, while there were many families in the state legally that for various reasons could not qualify for program assistance (Hallye, 1996).

Opponents if Wilson's plan promised to tie the effort up in court for years.

Fast forward to last year and FEMA found itself under fire when it began denying benefits to illegal immigrants that had lost their homes in Hurricane Charley.

The only federal aid provided was to illegal immigrants that had American born children (Hernandez, 2005).

The debate over FEMA's decision to exclude immigrants highlights the federal government's failure to adopt a uniform interpretation of 1996 welfare reform laws that ban illegal immigrants from getting cash assistance but allow them to receive other types of aid. While FEMA's rules say illegal immigrants are ineligible for emergency housing, other agencies such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provide emergency and transitional housing to legal and illegal immigrants (Hernandez, 2005)."

ARGUMENT AGAINST AID

In an idealistic world there would be enough funding to help everyone who needed assistance for as long as they needed the help. The government would be able to cut checks for those who lost homes, needed food, medical care or tuition for school to get on their feet.

However, the world is not an idealistic place and funding has to come from somewhere. Budgets in this country are already strained to capacity and threatening to burst (Fears, 2005). Atlantic City had to recently shut down all of its state funded operations including the casinos because of the current budget crisis. One only has to turn on the news during the week and see broadcasts about the plight of Social Security and know that the time has come to tighten belts, set boundaries and stick to them.

If this nation is ever going to reverse the downward financial spiral that it is in it must begin cutting its losses. Instead of cutting benefits to the elderly, who have worked their entire lives and now on Medicare cannot afford their prescriptions, why not cut all government benefits away from undocumented immigrants. The result will be savings in millions of dollars for the government to use elsewhere.

There have been some positive steps taken to discourage undocumented immigrants from receiving government benefits. One example was the Department of Homeland Security's recent announcement that illegal aliens will no longer be protected from deportation when they file for any type of federal assistance. While this was a positive step toward a necessary result it is not enough. The time has come to refuse all forms of government aid, in any amount to all illegal immigrants.

THE ARGUMENT FOR AID

Those who believe illegal immigrants should be eligible to receive government assistance point to the children of those families.

We are very concerned because they're afraid to ask for help," Brent A.

Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said of illegal immigrants. "It's difficult to get word to them. They're in the dark much more so than other folks. They have a default position:

to avoid authorities at all costs (Fears, 2005)."

Currently illegal immigrants are cut off of most government programs. Movement has been underway to change that. Grassroots organizations for Latino and other communities are working to get legislative changes in place that will allow illegal immigrants to receive aid. They point to the benefits it will provide including a reduced health care write off. According to supporters of such changes, illegal immigrants will have to continue to seek care and will not be able to pay for that care. Allowing them to take part in government funded health care will get at least partial payments to the health care professionals that treat them (Benefits, 2006).

It's not an open door - come get food stamps or anything you want," said Lorena Reyther- Miranda, an immigration specialist who works with victims of domestic violence, many of them immigrants, at the Denver Center for Crime Victims.

But illegal immigrants can legitimately access a limited range of taxpayer-funded services. Federal law and U.S. Supreme Court rulings say they're entitled to K-12 public education and assistance in a public safety emergency. If they're poor, they're entitled to emergency medical care, including childbirth, and legal representation if they're accused of a crime. Such benefits are rooted in the concept that the government needs to ensure the basic welfare of people and communities, regardless of a person's income, immigration status or other issues (Benefits, 2006). "

REFUTATION

There are three reasons that undocumented immigrants should not be allowed to obtain government assistance or participate in government funded programs.

The first reason is the fact that they have broken the law by coming into to the country illegally. In any other case of a criminal breaking the law, that person is not afforded privileges. That person is expected to answer for the crime and be punished within the limits of the law.

Illegal immigrants have snubbed their nose at American law and entered the nation illegally. They have not filled out the proper paperwork, nor have they taken the proper route to attain resident status. There is no reason to reward their criminal behavior by allowing them to then collect government benefits and assistance for themselves and their families.

The second reason to deny government benefits to undocumented immigrants is the cost. While American residents are up in arms at the rising cost of health care, illegal immigrants want it for free. Every night, somewhere in the nation a news channel broadcasts stories about families who cannot afford health care for their sick child. They work here, they pay taxes here, they obey the American laws, yet their children cannot get health care. It is unfair to consider allowing criminals who snuck into this country against the law to be provided health care that law abiding citizens and residents cannot access.

The cost of providing food stamps, cash, health care and other benefits to undocumented immigrants reaches the billions each year. That money would be better served if it were used to help fund the prescriptions of the elderly, the doctor visits of the nation's young and the social security program that is currently in financial trouble. To use that money to assist criminals while people right here in this country legally are needing the assistance is wrong and goes against everything the constitution stands for.

Currently children and families who are in this country illegally are entitled to the following programs.

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program: Agency workers do not ask for a client's immigration status"(Benefits, 2006).

Outpatient medical care: Only at clinics designated as federally qualified health centers - those helping needy communities - where clients receive medical care if they demonstrate financial need "(Benefits, 2006).

Prenatal care: Only at federally qualified health centers"(Benefits, 2006).

Emergency medical care: Paid by Medicaid if patient shows financial need"(Benefits, 2006).

Labor and delivery care in hospitals: Paid by Medicaid if patient shows financial need (Benefits, 2006)."

Immunizations: Health departments and clinics generally do not ask for immigration status. They prefer to vaccinate as many people as possible to prevent disease outbreaks (Benefits, 2006)."