FOOD STAMPS AND CASH ASSISTANCE FOR IRAQI AND AFGAN MILITARY INTERPRETERS

Please contact Mass. Law Reform Institute (MLRI) at 617-357-0777 if you are aware of any individuals or families from Iraq or Afghanistan who are in need of food stamps, cash assistance, medical care or other services. On December 26th, President Bush signed an Omnibus Appropriations Act that includes language (Section 525) authorizing six months of refugee benefits for immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan who entered as legal permanent residents with Special Immigrant Visas (SI-1) rather than refugee status. A question remains as to whether these immigrants will be subject to the five year bar on food stamps, TAFDC, and MassHealth after the six months is up. Many of these Special Immigrant visa recipients were military interpreters for the U.S. military during these conflicts. MLRI has identified three cases so far in Massachusetts and is working with DTA, the Mass Office of Refugees and Immigrants, the MIRA Coalition and national groups to ensure critical transitional services as they get settled in the U.S. and that the federal government gives the broadest interpretation of eligibility possible.

For more information contact Carly Burton at cburton@miracoalition.org or 617-350-5480 ext. 208.

-Adapted from MIRA Bulletin: 15 January 2008.

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