Immigrant Provisions in Patrick and Obama Budgets

As you know, Governor Patrick and President Obama recently delivered their annual legislative addresses and governmental budgets. By and large, the two executive leaders protected immigrants against the season's cold political and economic winds. In particular, we are very pleased with Governor Patrick's 25 percent increase in the Commonwealth Care Bridge program, which covers tens of thousands of immigrants who lost their state health insurance last year. We hope this increase will help enroll several thousand immigrants who have since been excluded from Commonwealth Care Bridge.

Patrick's Budget: The Short and Long

In short, it could be better, but it could also be a lot worse. Governor Deval Patrick’s proposed FY2011 budget maintains funding at current levels for most programs benefiting Massachusetts’ large and diverse immigrant community, and it increases funding by 25 percent for Commonwealth Care Bridge, the health care program that replaced Commonwealth Care for some 26,000 legal immigrants last year.

This increase for CommCare Bridge tacitly acknowledges the difficulties experienced last year by many immigrants enrolled in the program, which was overseen by CeltiCare, a  newcomer to the state´s field of private health insurers. We are hopeful that the governor's proposed increase -- from $40 million to $75 million -- will also help enroll several thousand immigrants who have been shut out of the program for various reasons. But we also remain mindful that the program offers only a temporary solution. Our ultimate goal is to restore full Commonwealth Care coverage to all Massachusetts residents, as was envisioned by the Health Care Reform law of 2006.

Other programs benefiting immigrants were cut modestly or not at all. Funding for Adult Basic Education (ABE), which includes English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs, was cut about half a percent. The small but remarkably effective Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) was level funded at $250,000, as was the Workforce Training Fund, at $10 million. Funding for the RISE program, which serves immigrant victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, was folded into other programs.

The long view, however, offsets this good news. For starters, "level funding" was achieved only after serious cuts last year or the year before that -- CNAP, for example, is down by 50 percent from just two years ago. And other worthy programs, which benefit more than just immigrants, suffered some very deep cuts, including One-Stop Career Centers (cut 25 percent) and the Department of Transitional Assistance's Employment Service Program (down 38 percent). These programs are not always on immigrant advocates' radar , but their vulnerability reminds us of the need to support our allies as much as they support us over the budget process long haul  (for one ally's sober analysis, visit the Workforce Solutions Group).

Obama Backs Words with Wallet 

The FY2011 budget that President Obama proposed February 1 redresses some significant imbalances in immigration funding from the past several years, and it keeps his promise to reform areas of detention and enforcement. Increases in resources have been allocated for:

In addition, this marks the first year that the White House has not requested an increase in funding for detention bed space (we would be even happier to see a decrease in funding).

Government Ups Refugee Grant

For the first time in decades, the federal government has increased the one-time, percapita grant to refugees for their initial weeks of placement in the United States. After decreasing in real terms by over 50 percent since its inception several decades ago, the grant has now been increased from $900 to $1800, effective January 1. See the State Department Web Site for more details.

-From: “Budget Season Begins: MIRA Bulletin 19 February 2010”, MIRA Coalition, February 19, 2010.

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