Born in the USA, the land of the free …
On Oct. 1, the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services made a controversial policy change, cutting food aid for many children of parents who are illegal immigrants, reported the Kansas City Star.
Although illegal immigrants are not allowed to obtain food stamps, the children of illegal immigrants born in the USA had previously been eligible. Because of the children’s status as U.S. citizens, the families had been able to receive food aid and some relief for the tight family budget. However, the implementation of the new policy discontinues this aid to many families living in Kansas.
According to MSNBC News, SRS has changed the way it counts household income for its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Through this program, SRS considers the entire income of all members of a household, but does not account for illegal family members when considering the eligibility of a family for aid.
“Now, all household incomes are treated equally,” said Angela de Rocha, SRS director of communications, to the Kansas City Star. “Prior to the policy change … U.S. citizens were being discriminated against.”
Rocha believes that without the recent change, the policy would have given illegal immigrants in Kansas more benefits than some U.S. citizens.
Some supporting the policy change argue that the children of illegal immigrants would not have become U.S. citizens in the first place if their parents had not unlawfully immigrated.
However, many are taken aback by the new policy, and a heated debate has emerged regarding whether the state’s action is ethical.
“The decision is absolutely inhumane and one more example of how many in this society are using the immigrant as a scapegoat for all the problems of this country,” said Jorge Zeballos, International Student Advisor and Latino Community Coordinator. “Denying U.S. citizens proper food assistance because of their parents’ immigration status shows a lack of empathy for other human beings that is beyond comprehension.”
“This is not a time, with this economy, when we should be withdrawing help from struggling families with children,” said Stacy Dean, Vice President of Food Assistance Policy. “We have a demonstrated problem of food insecurity in this country, and, in Kansas, this policy takes you further away from being able to solve the problem.”
“The bottom line here is we have children who are going to bed hungry at night,” said President and CEO of Kansas Action for Children Shannon Cotsoradis to the Kansas City State.
Even though Kansas Governor Sam Brownback continually tries to defend the new policy, the controversial issue does not rest within the Kansas state government.
“Their bill is a legal impossibility and a political fantasy,” said Kris Kobach, Kansas Secretary of State, to the Associated Press.
As the controversial issue gains more attention in Kansas and throughout the nation, many illegal immigrants continue to worry about the future of their families, including their children, who remain legal citizens of the United States of America.
Emma • Mar 14, 2012 at 9:31 pm
You have some nerve talking about osipaosmcn! It was the Republican Party that shot down immigration reform when the war criminal Bush tried to do it; you talk about osipaosmcn when Hilary Clinton tried to get the Uniting American families act passed with Bush’s immigration reform. Where was Bush and the republicans to build the wall back then? You talk about osipaosmcn when the tea party and the Republican Party and the skin head hunt down the illegals like dogs. You talk about osipaosmcn with gay couples not being able to sponsor their husbands and wife’s into this country. Right now over 23 countries allow it. You talk about dead bodies when people leave out water and food for the poor people and you re-thuglians find it and pour it out. Lost production of agriculture if it wasn’t for them your food would be twice if not three times as high. What amnesty???????????? They are going to have to pay heavy fines and to have to learn how to speak English, and pay taxes. Paying fines and fees is not amnesty, and what about gay couples that are legal married in other countries that have been in long relationships that can’t sponsor there husbands and wife’s into this country> I know personally because I’m one of them! So you re-thuglians and tea party people talk about osipaosmcn you have none, look at the unemployment insurance benefits you guys shot down.