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Benefits for immigrants challenges those meant for citizens

America’s senior citizens, most of whom have worked throughout their life, received two pieces of bad news recently.  The Social Security Administration has announced that there will be no cost of living adjustment in 2016 (one wonders if any federal bureaucrats have shopped for food lately.) Now, concerns are high that Medicare costs could increase. Medicare funding has been cut to fund Obamacare, and Social Security funds have been siphoned to pay for Social Security disability. Disability recipients have increased, a move which has the public relations benefit for incumbent politicians of technically reducing unemployment. Low income individuals may qualify for disability even if they lack credits from working.

American companies pay the highest corporate taxes of any developed nation. Middle Class citizens have seen their taxes escalate during the past seven years. While federal revenue has increased due to these burdensome levies, key functions of the federal government, including defense, infrastructure maintenance, and veterans benefits continue to lag.  Defense spending, both in actual dollar terms as well as adjusted for inflation, is actually less than it was when Mr. Obama took office.

Where has the money gone? Dependence on various forms of public assistance has peaked under the Obama Administration, a reflection of the worrisomely deteriorating number of Americans in the workforce. An additional factor, however, has come increasingly into play—and is about to get worse.  It is ironic that social security, which workers have paid for, is in financial difficulty, while ever larger amounts of dollars are being committed to entitlements, some of which are going to individuals who are not even in the country legally.

The needs of the American citizenry under the depressed U.S. economy are vast.  But when the Obama Administration’s drive to allow entry to large numbers of needy immigrants, legal and illegal, into the nation is added, the costs of benefits become overwhelming.

Washington makes it easy for immigrants to gain benefits

Washington even reaches out to immigrants with offers of assistance.  The federal website “welcometousa”  contains this message:

“Depending on your immigration status, length of time in the United States, and income, you may be eligible for some federal benefit programs. The links below will lead you to official government websites describing a range of assistance programs.

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The federal government is not alone. New York State Senator James Seward gives this advice to illegal immigrants:

“Education. As a result of a 1982 Supreme Court decision, states are required to provide K-12 public education for students without legal immigrant status. New York State is in compliance with this decision. SUNY tuition policy states that undocumented aliens who attend New York high schools for at least 2 years and graduate from them may be eligible for the in-state tuition rate. However, illegal immigrants are ineligible for the tuition assistance program (TAP).

Health. Proof of citizenship is required to qualify for Medicaid, unless a woman is pregnant, or the situation is considered an “emergency.” New York State law requires that hospitals treat everyone who requires emergency care. “Continuing” care, by federal definition, is not included.

Labor. Believe it or not, illegal immigrants are eligible for workers’ compensation, but not unemployment insurance. Labor standards laws also still apply to illegal aliens, such as the minimum wage, hours of labor or prevailing wage on public construction projects.

Mental Hygiene. Hospitals have a responsibility to treat patients with emergency medical conditions, including mental illnesses.

Welfare. Whether illegal aliens can obtain state benefits is not clear-cut. The short answer appears to be that they are not legally entitled to most benefits, but do in fact receive them.” [Emphasis ours.]

James Hirby, writing in thelawdictionary.org, notes:

“Americans who are struggling to survive due to high unemployment and low wages may be asking why illegal aliens receive benefits from state and federal governments…Just because illegal aliens are not legally entitled to these benefits does not mean they do not apply for them. Yes. It is true that illegal aliens have received grants, professional accreditations, loans, WIC, disability, public housing, college educations, food stamps, unemployment benefits, and tax credits from state and federal agencies. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, at least one third of foreign born citizens in the United States are illegal aliens. Since children born in the United States are considered U.S. Citizens, it becomes complicated when illegal aliens then bear children who are U.S. Citizens.If the U.S. government sent the parents of these children away, we would be separating families. Now that these families have given birth to U.S. citizens, the families are eligible for benefits such as WIC and food stamps. Benefits such as these are for low income families. Illegal aliens often work in low paying jobs so they now qualify for benefits.”

More financial challenges are coming

The challenge to taxpayers will be getting worse, not better. Breitbart  reports that illegals are “going to be able to collect money from the IRS through tax credits, up to $35,000 apiece. Now the Social Security Administration has confirmed that amnestied aliens will be able to collect benefits from it as well, as early as 2017…We learned about that crisis thanks to an inquiry from Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), who also asked the SSA to run the numbers on how many of our New Americans would be collecting benefits legally after Obama illegally dismantles our citizenship laws. The chief actuary responded that he expects about 16,000 “New Americans” to begin collecting Old-Age, Survivor’s, and Disability Insurance benefits by 2017, with the total rising steadily over the next four decades until it hits 695,000. As Ryan Lovelace at National Review observes, even this estimate is absurdly optimistic, because it assumes the flow of illegal aliens will decrease after 2016. In reality, we’ll be hit by wave after wave of new illegals looking for their piece of the amnesty pie.”

There is even more. Tom Lifson, writing in the American Thinker, reports on a little-known program discovered by Florida’s Sun-Sentinel newspaper chain.

“Castro is shipping Cuba’s old to the U.S. in soaring numbers — because the Cuban Adjustment Act entitles them to free housing, free Medicaid, free Supplemental Social Security and even welfare. No matter if they have relatives who can care for them, a free retirement plan is theirs for the taking.…It’s part of an overall surge in migration, ever since President Obama announced normalization of relations. Customs and Border Protection data show that from October 2014 to June 2015, 27,296 Cubans entered the U.S. for residency, a 78% rise over last year.More are coming. Cuba has the hemisphere’s oldest population. The average age is 47, and nearly 24% of the population is above age 55, according to CIA data.The Sun-Sentinel reported arrivals of Cubans over age 60 have risen fivefold since 2010, based on data from Florida’s Department of Children and Families…The cost to U.S. taxpayers for this retirement plan for Castro’s castoffs is likely billions. The Sun-Sentinel found welfare alone for all Cuban refugees is about $685 million, and Cubans are the No. 1 recipients.”