As a result, state and local governments may be pressured to make up at least some of the lost benefits, and soup kitchens and food pantries may have to handle larger numbers of needy people. S econd, Congress should provide a basic safety net for legal immigrants who arrived after the welfare reform bill was passed. Such legal immigrants will now be denied disability benefits and food stamps, should they need them. T hird, Congress should provide the Immigration and Naturalization Service with the resources and authority necessary to streamline the naturalization of prospective citizens, without compromising the integrity of the process. T he welfare reform law broke the long-standing agreement between future citizens and their adopted homeland.
Legal immigrants share the same responsibilities as citizens.
They pay taxes. They serve in the military. T he United States has always embraced legal immigrants, who enrich our culture and work hard to make our nation stronger. But just like anyone else, immigrants can sometimes fall on hard times. P resident Clinton and Congress should do the right thing and reestablish the contract between legal immigrants and American society.