Hundreds Of Advocacy Groups Urge SSI Extension For Refugees And Asylees

Nearly 300 national, state and local advocacy organizations including the National Senior Citizens Law Center have written to urge Congress to include in the year-end omnibus appropriations bill a provision which would extend the period of eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for refugees, asylees and other humanitarian immigrants beyond the current 7 year limit.

Nearly 300 national, state and local advocacy organizations including the National Senior Citizens Law Center have written to urge Congress to include in the year-end omnibus appropriations bill a provision which would extend the period of eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for refugees, asylees and other humanitarian immigrants beyond the current 7 year limit. Prior to 1996 legal immigrants who were elderly or disabled, including refugees and asylees, were eligible for SSI benefits on the same basis as citizens. All that changed with the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) which greatly restricted the availability of SSI benefits for immigrants generally and established the concept of time limited benefits for refugees and asylees who were elderly or disabled if they entered the United States after August 22, 1996. Thus under current law SSI eligibility ends 7 years after the date the individual was awarded refugee or asylum status. The theory behind the time limit was that this would give people sufficient time to naturalize, although just barely. However, in the post 9/11 environment the naturalization process has become incredibly bogged down and it is virtually impossible to complete the process in 7 years.

Six thousand immigrants have already lost their SSI benefits because they have been unable to complete the naturalization process in the 7 year period. It is expected that another 40,000 immigrants currently receiving SSI will lose their benefits upon reaching the 7 year time limit. Those affected are more vulnerable than most immigrants since most have suffered severe oppression in their home countries. They are also much less likely to have family in the U.S.

The Bush Administration has included a one year extension of benefits in its proposed budget for each of the last couple of years and legislation has been introduced in both the House (H.R. 899) and Senate (S.453) providing for a two year extension. Neither of these bills would provide a complete remedy since current processing delays make it difficult to complete the naturalization process in even 9 years. In addition asylees are forced to wait longer periods because of a statutory cap on the number of asylees who can be naturalized in any given year. However, inclusion of either of these bills in the year-end appropriation bill would provide much needed relief for thousands until Congress has the opportunity to revisit the issue again in the next session and provide more comprehensive relief. For further information, contact Gerald McIntyre in the NSCLC Los Angeles office.