Lateefah Simon: “What this does is to change the basis for deportation from the Senate language to the House language. The Senate…”

“What this does is to change the basis for deportation from the Senate language to the House language. The Senate language, frankly, is so wide open in terms of deporting people. For example, someone who is a legal immigrant, who receives higher education assistance, or, Mr. President, someone in the State of Minnesota who would not be aware of it and got job training assistance under this amendment, unless it is changed, that person could be deported for getting job training assistance--someone who is here legally, going to become a citizen. I just do not think that makes sense. If they have a child who gets Head Start, that can be a basis. So what we ought to do is do as the House did. Frankly, that is still pretty sweeping. AFDC, SSI--and the SSI program is the one that is abused. I think all of us who have been working in this area know this is the area of great abuse. Overall, those who come into our country who are not yet citizens use our welfare programs less than native-born Americans percentagewise. But limited to AFDC, SSI, food stamps, Medicaid, housing, and State cash assistance. This is the language on the House side. I think it makes just an awful lot more sense. If someone, for example, gets low-income energy assistance in the State of Minnesota, that would be a basis for deportation the way the bill reads right now. I do not think you want that. I do not think most Members of the Senate want that. So that is what my amendment does.”