The Governor's May Revision of the state budget, released Thursday May 14th, targets a range of important health and human service programs for low-income Californians in an effort to close a $15-$21 billion budget deficit in the 2009-2010 budget year. Among these proposed cuts, the Governor targets key programs for immigrant communities. The proposal seeks to eliminate the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP), Medi-Cal for lawful residents who have been in the country for fewer than five years, and placing harsh time limits on benefits for children with immigrant parents in the CalWORKS program. Please join hundreds of immigrants at the Capitol on May 19 for Immigrant Day to speak out against these inhumane proposals. Participants will visit legislators and key staff to tell them what these services mean to our community and to the well-being of California 's future. Below is a brief summary of the proposed cuts specifically targeting immigrant communities: - Elimination of the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI): Established in 1998 under the Republican Administration of Governor Pete Wilson, CAPI provides cash assistance to lawful immigrant seniors and persons with disabilities who were rendered ineligible for federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI). CAPI provides basic assistance to this population, who rely on the grant to pay for housing, food, medicine, and other necessities. CAPI serves approximately 12,000 lawfully residing immigrant families in California who would lose this support under the Governor's plan. CAPI helps prevent immigrant seniors and persons with disabilities from facing homelessness and despair, serving as a lifeline for this vulnerable population. Severing that lifeline will only create more costs and problems for the state and local communities, as immigrants are pushed into homelessness and other unacceptable conditions.
- Elimination of the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP):CFAP provides nutrition assistance to low-income immigrant adults who have resided lawfully in the U.S. for less than 5 years. It provides essential assistance to immigrants who were rendered ineligible for federal food stamps by the 1996 federal welfare law. The program, which operates like Food Stamps, serves over 23,000 people, including a significant number of working families with children. In difficult economic times, hard-working families shouldn't be forced to go hungry. CFAP also provides a critical economic stimulus because food stamps are spent immediately in local economies. Hunger doesn't discriminate between citizens and immigrants, and neither should the State of California .
- Elimination of full Medi-Cal for many lawful immigrants: The proposal targets low-income immigrants who have had legal permanent status for fewer than five years. These immigrants are low-income working parents, seniors and persons with disabilities. Most are lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and have worked and paid taxes in the U.S. Other immigrants affected include domestic violence survivors and their children who are obtaining lawful status under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), spouses and children of U.S... citizens, and other individuals who have been granted permission to remain in the U.S. by the federal government. The state estimates that about 82,000 individuals would lose coverage as a result of this proposal.
- Capping child-only CalWORKS to 60 months: This proposal would cap CalWORKS benefits for the children of immigrant parents living in poverty. CalWORKS provides cash assistance to low-income families and does not currently have a cap on the amount of time these vulnerable children can receive assistance, though there is currently a time limit for parents in the program. This could force thousands of children and their families into poverty, making it even more difficult for them to get the education they need, food to sustain them, and adequate safe housing.
CIPC will be monitoring the budget situation over the coming weeks and provide more alerts regarding the immigrant specific programs. For more information, please email Vanessa Cajina, CIPC Statewide Policy Analyst at vcajina@caimmmigrant.org Califstareart ***
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URGENT BUDGET ALERT! THE GOVERNOR CALLS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF 'CRITICAL' PROGRAMS IN BUDGET PROPOSAL! CALL, FAX AND E-MAIL THE GOVERNOR AND LET HIM KNOW YOU WANT HIM TO STOP ALL WELFARE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS!
