The welfare reform in 1996 that ended food stamps to immigrants was based on the precept in our immigration law that requires that immigrants not be a "public charge," meaning that they are expected to be self-supporting or their sponsors are supposed to support them -- not the American taxpayer. The 1996 reform exempted from the cut-off all those who had become U.S. citizens, all refugees and all those who had already been in the country for five years. Then last year Congress restored food stamp benefits for the elderly and youth who were in the country before 1996. But there are still huge numbers of recent and future immigrants who would be given food stamps under the proposed legislation.

FAIR 11/99