OLDER IMMIGRANTS AND U.S. WELFARE REFORM

U.S. welfare policy is undergoing a philosophical shift resulting in a dramatic legislative overhaul aimed at reducing spending, limiting eligibility, and enhancing the control of states over federal social service programs. To date, lawfully admitted permanent aliens have been treated the same as citizens by a host of federal programs for the poor. New legislation, however, would make noncitizens largely ineligible for public benefits. Programs that serve as a safety net for citizens would be recast as an earned right for noncitizens. This paper examines the implications for elderly aliens, a population that has grown in response to the liberalization of U.S. immigration laws. To assess the impact of changes in eligibility requirements for Supplemental Security Income, the paper focuses on California, the nation's most populous state and a leading destination of immigrants. The feasibility of individual adaptations to loss of benefits‐family support, employment, naturalization, and emigration‐is examined.