A lawsuit has been filed and is seeking class action status on behalf of disabled and elderly immigrants who fled persecution and want disability benefits restored by the United States while they wait to become citizens. The lawsuit was filed against the Department of Homeland Security and its Citizenship and Immigration Service, Attorney General Albert Gonzales, the FBI, and the Social Security Administration. A 1996 welfare reform law required immigrants to become citizens before they could qualify for the benefits, but bureaucratic delays in processing green cards and citizenship documents have resulted in the loss of benefits since 2003 to 6,000 disabled and elderly refugees throughout the United States.
If you feel you should be included in this possible class action lawsuit, please contact Jonathan Stein at [Community Legal Services]
