Cracking Down on Immigration

Widespread public concern with the growth in immigration has led to increasing pressure to eliminate or limit government benefits and services for both illegal and legal immigrants. In California, voters in November overwhelmingly approved Proposition 187, a measure that bars undocumented aliens from public schools, health clinics and social service agencies. In Washington, House Republicans are proposing to bar legal immigrants from 60 federal assistance programs. Critics of liberal immigration policies say the moves will save money and reduce the flow of illegal aliens into the country. But immigration advocacy groups say that illegal aliens are already ineligible for most welfare and education benefits and that working- age, legal immigrants often get less government assistance than U.S. natives.