So I got one of those forwarded e-mails that’s a petition of protest to the president against a recent (?) senate vote that would allow illegal aliens to get soc security benefits of some kind. I don’t know much on this topic and need some facts.
I don’t expect this to be a debate, so I’m posting here, although perhaps I’m being too hopeful!
Thanks in advance…
From the Social Security Administration :
Illegal aliens who become legal aliens or U.S. citizens are eligible for Social Security benefits based on Social Security taxes they paid while they were illegals. There was a recent attempt in the U.S. Senate to end such eligibility, but it was defeated.
Snopes addresses it more thoroughly.
Thanks for the info/link. I use Snopes often and hadn’t thought to look there. The e-mail I got doesn’t concern who voted which way. It states the following:
*Subject: Social Security for Aliens
It is already impossible to live on Social Security alone. If they give benefits to “illegal” aliens who have never contributed, where does that leave us that have paid into Social Security all our working lives?
As stated below, the Senate voted this week to allow “illegal” aliens to access to Social Security benefits. Attached is an opportunity to sign a petition that requires citizenship for eligibility to that social service.
You can Agree or Delete. Instructions are below.
PETITION FOR: President Bush
Mr. President: The petition below is a protest against what the senate voted on recently which was to allow illegal’s to access our social security! We demand that you and all congressional representatives require citizenship for anyone to be eligible for social services in the United States.
We further demand that there not be any amnesty given to illegal’s, and NO free services or funding, or payments to or for illegal immigrants.
We are fed up with the lack of action about this matter and are tired of paying" for services to illegal’s! Tell Senor Fox to pay for his own people!*
My question is: is this the same issue as in the Snopes article, whereby social security benefits would be given to illegal aliens who have been given legal staus by our government for (what I assume is) work they were doing legally? Because I would think that if our government allowed them to work, then maybe they should get benefits. Or is there something I’m not “getting”?
I’m not sure I understand your question. “For work they were doing legally” as illegal aliens? That’s a contradiction. How did the government “allow them to work”?
Perhaps I misinterpreted the statement you posted by the Soc Security Administration. The part that says “permits payment of Social Security benefits to noncitizens living in the United States (U.S.) only if they are lawfully present in this country.”
I assumed that lawfully present meant the gov’t allows them to be here for purposes of work. Or no?
Lawfully present means those that are here as Resident Aliens (IOW - green card holders) or others that are here on a legal immigration status that are allowed to work. Not all statuses (like tourist visas) allow you to work while you are here.
Never contributed? In most cases they have to show a social security number to be employed. FICA taxes must be deducted and sent to the FEDS based on their wages. Even if the SSN is fake, the FEDS are still getting the money they expected. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but to state that illegal aliens never contribute is being less than honest.
Bob