Randy Capps Immigration Studies Program The Urban Institute Immigrant Families and Welfare Policy (Acknowledgments to Jeffrey S. Passel, Michael Fix) May 16, 2001 1 1

Immigrant Families and Welfare Policy Immigration laws and policy -- Past -- Recent Public benefits use Family hardship Unanswered questions 2 2

Selected Immigration Laws Exclusions (mostly Asian) -- Chinese (1882) National origin quotas (1924) Preferences replace quotas (1965) Refugee Act (1980) Imm. Reform & Control Act (1986) -- Employer sanctions -- Amnesty Preferences expanded (1990) 2 2

Proposition 187 (1994) Concerns about immigrant “costs” “Illegal” immigrants ineligible: -- Public schools -- Health care Not upheld in courts Legal immigration restrictions discussed 2 2

1996 Laws: Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) -------- Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) -------- Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) 9 9

Immigration Enforcement Border Patrol doubled IDENT (fingerprint database) Fraud penalties increased “Inadmissable” group expanded Deportations made easier Stronger interior enforcement?? 13 13

Immigrant Responsibility “Public charge” provisions Binding “affidavit of support” Sponsors pay back benefits 125 % poverty income required Indirect immigration restriction? 13 13

Welfare Reform “Means-tested” benefits -- Welfare (TANF) -- Food stamps -- Health insurance (Medicaid) “Unqualified”, post-96 = ineligible Refugees = eligible Naturalized = eligible New rights for citizens?? 11 11

Congress Did NOT: Cut legal immigration by 40% Change family preferences Require 200 % poverty income Enact Federal Proposition 187 Enhance employer sanctions 10 10

Following 1996 Laws: Enforcement spending up Deportations and detentions up Border deaths up Immigrant benefits use down Immigration not down Naturalizations up Family hardship ?? 10 10

Poor Immigrants Use Less Welfare; Refugees Use More Percent of families with incomes <200% poverty in program (1998 CPS) 21 21

Welfare Use Down Percent of families receiving welfare, by status (CPS) 30 30 30 11 15 19 11

Food Stamps Use Down More Percent of families receiving food stamps, by status (CPS) 30 30 30 11 15 19 11

Health Insurance Down, Too Percent of families participating in Medicaid, by status (CPS) 30 30 30 11 15 19 11

Patterns vary by state: Possible eligibility differences -- Benefits to post-96 legal imms. -- Benefits to "unqualified” imms. California Other "generous" states (NY, FL) Not so generous states (TX, AZ) “Chilling” effects ?? 10 10

As do poverty rates: Percent in families with incomes < 100% poverty (1999 NSAF) 17 17 18 16

Food problems also vary ... Percent in families with problems affording food (1999 NSAF) 17 17 18 16

Children are uninsured: Percent of Children with no health insurance (1999 NSAF) 17 17 18 16

They live in crowded housing: Percent in families with more than 2 people per bedroom (1999 NSAF) 17 17 18 16

Unanswered questions: Will participation keep falling? Will hardship rise? How do trends vary by state? Are there chilling effects? Will benefits be restored? Are policies deterring migration?? 10 10

For more information, contact: Randy Capps, Ph.D. Immigration Studies Program Population Studies Center Urban Institute 2100 M St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 (202) 261-5302 rcapps@ui.urban.org 37 37