Sen. Maize K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, has introduced legislation that would reinstate access to federal benefits for immigrants who now have to wait five years after coming to the U.S. before they are eligible.
According to a news release from Hirono’s office, more restrictive welfare and immigration legislation was adopted in 1996 that created the waiting period.
“Immigrants have kept us healthy, safe, and fed on the frontlines of this pandemic—highlighting just how critical they are to our communities,” Hirono said in the news release.
According to the news release, the Lifting Immigrant Families Through Benefits Access Restoration (LIFT the BAR) Act also would clear hurdles and restore access to a host of programs, including Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIPS), for immigrants who are in this country legally. Pramilla Jayapal, D-WA, introduced similar legislation in the House.
According to the news release, Hirono’s legislation would include Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) individuals, those granted Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and other authorized non-citizens who are living in this country. The news release also noted that immigrants who have sponsors for citizenship would be permitted access to the services based on the resources legally available to them.
Moreover, Hirono’s news release noted that if adopted, the legislation would remove the ability of states to create additional hurdles for qualified immigrants and extend flexibility of states to be able to use local funding to extend benefits to immigrants.