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In the last seven years, I have devoted considerable energy to support
the
creation of open societies in the former Soviet bloc. In those countries,
the meaning of open society was easy to explain: It was the opposite
of
Communism. Open society was the United States, a country characterized
by
a reliance on the rule of law, a democratically elected government,
a
diverse culture and respect for people who are different. The truth,
of
course, was always more complicated. Yet the image and the ideal were
inspiring, and they remain so to this day.
Legal immigrants --— refugees fleeing religious and political persecution,
family members wanting to be reunited with loved ones, young entrepreneurs
with talent and drive— have long come to America seeking a fair chance
to
contribute and, in the process, have enriched our culture and strengthened
the nation.
Yesterday, Congress began taking away much of that fair chance when
the
new welfare law went into effect. It will bar most legal immigrants,
including permanent residents and refugees granted asylum, from receiving
food stamps and Supplemental Security Income, which benefits the elderly
and the disabled. Legal immigrants will also be denied welfare and
Medicaid benefits in their first five years in the country.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, more than 500,000 immigrants
are likely to lose Supplemental Security benefits; about 900,000 are
likely to lose food stamps. Legal immigrants represent only about 5
percent of those on public aid, yet they are absorbing more than 40
percent of the cuts in welfare.
Immigrants have always pulled their weight. Except for the right to
vote,
legal immigrants have enjoyed the same rights and shared the same
responsibilities as citizens. They serve in the military. They contribute
more in taxes than they receive in benefits. Denying them the safety
net
they help pay for is neither necessary nor fair, and it breaks with
a long
and proud tradition of treating legal immigrants as future citizens
who
are assets, rather than as non-citizen aliens who are a burden.
More than half of the legal immigrants who will lose their benefits
have
lived in the country for more than five years and are likely eligible
for
naturalization. More than one million residents are expected to apply
for
citizenship this year. Yet in taking benefits away from struggling
immigrants we are adding yet another obstacle to those they already
face
in applying for citizenship, including learning English, studying for
the
test and paying processing fees.
There is no question that the welfare system needs to be reformed so
that
it moves people from dependency to work. But to do so we must spend
more
money, not less, in the short term, because creating work requires
more
public investment and job training — for citizens and legal immigrants.
Depriving immigrants creates false savings at the cost of perpetrating
an
injustice.
As an Immigrant and naturalized United States citizen, I have a deep
sympathy for all those who come to America in search of a better life.
I
have prospered, but I know that we all need a helping hand at some
time in
our lives. After World War II, I left Hungary and stayed in England
for
several years, working as a railroad porter. I broke my leg and was
taken
care of, free of charge, by the National Health Service. I depended
on
government assistance.
If immigrants to America suffer similar misfortunes, if they cannot
work
or find a decent-paying job and their families are starving, where
will
they turn for help? In the answer lies our identity as a people and
as a
nation.
