Dec 8, 2006

Lawsuit On Benefits To Immigrants Awaiting Citizenship

Legal immigrants can obtain Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for seven years after coming to the U.S. Their benefits are then stopped unless they have become citizens. The problem is that there are huge backlogs preventing immigrants from obtaining citizenship within those seven years, even though they fully qualify and are vigorously seeking citizenship. Some immigrants who are eligible for citizenship and actively seeking citizenship are losing SSI because the FBI cannot complete background checks on them so that their citizenship applications can be granted. This has led to a lawsuit in Pennsylvania, brought by Community Legal Services, according to a Philadelphia Daily News article.

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