Thread: Illegal immigrants find they don't qualify for hurricane aid

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Undocumented immigrants find they don't qualify for hurricane help

By Elizabeth Baier
Staff Writer

November 14, 2005

Dalia Mesa paced inside the scarcely furnished one-bedroom Oakland Park apartment she now calls home, placed both her hands on her stomach, rubbed her pregnant belly, and sighed a bit of relief now that she has a roof over her head.

Mesa and her husband, Armando Juarez, a construction worker, used their savings to move after Hurricane Wilma left their previous apartment just a few blocks away roofless, soaked and moldy.

They do not qualify for temporary housing or loans to rent an apartment or grants to replace damaged furniture. They are among the thousands of undocumented immigrants in South Florida who cannot count on aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help replace lost furniture, food, or gas after Hurricane Wilma.

"We all went through the same hurricane," said Mesa, 26, who moved to the United States two years ago from Oaxaca, Mexico. "It makes me feel bad that no one can help us."

The law says FEMA can provide anyone with water, food and medical care as part of emergency disaster relief regardless of their legal status, according to spokesman Ricardo Zuniga.

Undocumented immigrants can also apply for the Florida Department of Children & Families' Food for Florida program, which provides a debit card for one month of groceries for families who lost food or wages to Hurricane Wilma.

But the welfare reform laws passed in 1996 specify that FEMA cannot give cash assistance to "non-qualified" immigrants, including the undocumented and some legal immigrants, such as asylum applicants or people with temporary protected status who are unable to safely return to their home country for a short period.

"This is the law. We follow the law," Zuniga said. Mesa said she didn't know about the debit card program and would not dare show up anywhere where she would be asked for a Social Security number, for fear of being turned in to immigration officials.

"I feel invisible," she said. "There's not much we can do. It's not fair."

DCF asks for a Social Security number to make sure applicants do not already receive food stamps, but not to discourage anyone in need from applying, including undocumented immigrants, according to DCF spokesman Kim Brock.

Lawyers at the Florida Legal Services Inc., a Miami-based legal advocacy group, say asking applicants to present a Social Security number is deceptive and keeps some of the most needy storm victims without help.

"DCF is publicizing that people need to have a Social Security number to get food stamp assistance but that is misleading," said Valory Greenfield, a lawyer with the group. "What they should be saying is, `If you have a Social Security number, then bring it, but if you don't, then we will still help you.'"

The fear of being caught by authorities has kept most, but not all, undocumented immigrants away from this help.

On Tuesday, Ramiro Perez, 23, stood in line for food stamps at one of the four distribution sites in Palm Beach County.

"I need help because I don't have work," said Perez, a day laborer from Guatemala who has lived in the United State seven years.

But when it comes to FEMA, Perez won't even bother. And he doesn't know anyone else who will, he said.

"How are they going to ask me for paperwork?" Perez said, referring to immigration documents. "I don't have any."

Opponents of illegal immigration have fought giving financial aid after natural disasters to people who entered the country illegally or have overstayed their visas.

"Illegal immigrants should only be getting emergency aid like water from the country whose laws they are violating," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Washington D.C.-based Center for Immigration Studies. "There's no excuse for them to receive any of that kind of long-term, reconstruction assistance from FEMA."

Some experts say a change in FEMA's policy could help thousands of immigrants in Florida and other states rebuild their homes and thwart some of the tension that often follows a natural disaster.

"FEMA is always under the scrutiny of Congress to abide by the letter of the law," said Richard Olson, a political science professor at Florida International University who specializes in disasters. "But in terms of recovery and reconstruction, this makes the most vulnerable even worse off."

For Mesa, it's her unborn child that gives her hope now.

"I'll be able to get more help when the baby is born [here]," she said.

"I'll be able to get more help when the baby is born [here]," she said.

This says it all! Somebody at ICE needs to find this woman and send her back to the country of her citizenship before the ANCHOR arrives.

Quote Illegal Immigrant:
"How are they going to ask me for paperwork?" Perez said, referring to immigration documents. "I don't have any."

And he has the audacity to stand in line for food stamps that we pay for?

I bet Vicente is FUMING about this little mishap. I thought Jorge promised him this wouldn't happen!!! They are probably expecting the paperwork in SPANISH, BBean.

I wanted to reply to this last night, but it was too late.

Last week they had "commercials" on the radio telling that there would be two or three days where FEMA would be located in one place to hand out food stamps and reimbursement for generators. It was like they were advertising that the circus was coming to town. It was pretty amazing.

Saturday was the last day, and they made it sound like, "Come one, come all tomorrow is the LAST day !! Come and get your FEMA money.
They literally sounded like that. One almost felt like a fool not to go.

I was told by someone that all the roads even leading to the area of the FEMA money had traffic jams. A man told me he was surprised at the types of cars going there, he said they were all new, within two years of being new. I didn't see it, but I believe him.

I know a woman who went. She works 10 -12 hrs a day, literally 7 days a week. I think she deserved to go as hard as she works. She said that it was as easy as 1-2-3. They asked how many people are in the family, how much she spent on supplies BEFORE the hurricane, how much food went bad in the refridgerator after the electricity went, how many days of work were missed and how much she payed for the generator. She said she received about $800.00.

All I can say is down here in south Florida, unfortunately the numbers of people who are willing to take all they can get from whoever they can are very high. I'm sure there were thousands of people there who should not have been. I'm sure there were many people who needed to be there, who probably didn't get there for one reason or another.

I just wish our government could find ways to be more efficient and to make sure this money goes to the people who truly need it.

I did hear a few people who didn't need it say that they were so fed up with seeing this and hearing this that they were going. I'm happy to say, that on Monday, one of those people said they did not go. He said his wife talked him out of it.

Anyway, after I read this last night I realized that I should have gone, and then donated the money to Jim Gilchrist and ALIPAC. That's what I should have done!! We have to pressure our government to find better ways of doing something like this. It should never be a free for all, never a circus. There must be a better way.

Also, since when does the government pay people back for buying hurricane supplies before the hurricane !! That really surprised me a lot.

Wouldn't you at least ask people to bring proof of what they earn ? The lady I know who went said that she did bring the social security cards for the people in her family. But according to this article it wasn't necessary.
THAT is the first big mistake. The hurricane was bad, but I don't think there were any social security cards blowing around in the wind !

Well, the lack of the need for taking a Social Security card is alarming to me. That just means that ANYBODY--legal or ILLEGAL--could go and claim that money. And, to think that FEMA is giving away money to people for SUPPLIES that they bought before the hurricane is assinine. I could understand the reimbursement for the generators. You SHOULD have gone, Legal. It might as well be YOU getting it as an ILLEGAL! AND, your NAME is even LegalUSCitizen!!!!

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

Wouldn't you at least ask people to bring proof of what they earn ? The lady I know who went said that she did bring the social security cards for the people in her family. But according to this article it wasn't necessary.
THAT is the first big mistake. The hurricane was bad, but I don't think there were any social security cards blowing around in the wind !

"Social Security cards blowing around in the wind"- thats so funny!
But remember when N.O got hit by the hurricane, and FEMA assured everyone that they didnt need to show any documents because they may have been 'LOST'. Like the wind and water make documents located in your wallets and purses just disappear. What fool, even in an emergency, doesnt carry some form if identification. And doesnt FEMA have the means to id someone if they give them their ss# or name and address? Its called the internet. And why are there family members still missing? Are they conviently 'LOST' too, in order to get free travel? Even pets were relocated faster than the people were. Doesnt that make anyone wonder why? And for petes sake, anyone would stand in lne for a $2000 gift certificate from FEMA. What a bunch of clowns that operate our government!

Well, you might stand in line if you wanted to use that $2000 for a GUCCI bag!!!!

You bring up a good point about why there are still so many people that haven't been reunited although I haven't heard them talking too much lately about missing kids. Wonder if all of them have been located yet?

that is exactly what annoys me . the mexicans expect living in the united states to be a constant cash cow- unfair? no, its not. we dont owe them anything- they should go ask the prez of their own country- mr foxy , but he is only to glad to get rid of his peasantry.
the mexican living next door to me, in Oregon, told me that In california we get free rent at christmas time and he expects it here too. good luck! I know of illegals who work for roofing companies and when they get hurt , show up at the hospital and stick them with the bill.I know of others , where one gets a green card, starts a company and then hires all illegals- not to mention the fake social security card market.
ps my real name is rebecca. I had a problem getting back in with my first user name so I had to start a new acct.