Mr. President. we have received early reports from the Social Security Administration large numbers of of elderly legal immigrants who will lose their SSI benefits under the new welfare law unless Congress acts to help them. In Social Security field offices across the country. the same reports are being heard. Elderly immigrants come into the field offices after receiving a notice that their SSI benefits will he terminated unless the immigrants can prove U.S. citizenship. Many of these immigrants are citizens. but they cannot remember where they stored their naturalization certificate. Most are very old and often infirm. Sometimes they are too infirm to remember whether they were naturalized or not. For example. two elderly women. both over 90 years old. were senile. and confined to a convalescent home. They sought help from SSA after receiving the notice that their SSI payments would be terminated. Both women say they were born in the United States. but they cannot prove their citizenship. Another woman. born in Ireland over 80 years ago. came to the US when she was 2. Her parents were naturalized. but she has no proof that she was. She has never left the United States. and believes she Is a citizen. but she has no way to prove it. The Social Security office in New York City reports that a womans 85yearold daughter came to inquire about her 105yearold mothers termination notice.
Keywords matched
naturalization naturalized immigrants