Hurricane Katrina-Related Immigration Issues and Legislation

CRS Report for Congress
Hurricane Katrina-Related
Immigration Issues and Legislation
Updated October 18, 2005
Ruth Ellen Wasem
Specialist in Immigration Policy
Domestic Social Policy Division

Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

Hurricane Katrina-Related Immigration
Issues and Legislation
Summary
The devastation and displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf
Coast region of the United States has very specific implications for foreign nationals
who lived in the region. Whether the foreign national is a legal permanent resident
(LPR), a nonimmigrant (e.g., temporary resident such a foreign student,
intracompany transferee, or guest worker) or an unauthorized alien (i.e., illegal
immigrant) is a significant additional factor in how federal laws and policies are
applied. In this context, the key question is whether Congress should relax any of
these laws pertaining to foreign nationals who are victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Many of the victims of Hurricane Katrina lack personal identification
documents as a result of being evacuated from their homes, loss or damage to
personal items and records, and ongoing displacement in shelters and temporary
housing. As a result of the widespread damage and destruction to government
facilities in the area affected by the hurricane, moreover, many victims will be unable
to have personal documents re-issued in the near future. Lack of adequate personal
identification documentation, a problem for all victims, has specific consequences
under immigration law, especially when it comes to employment and eligibility for
programs and assistance.
Noncitizens — regardless of their immigration status — are not barred from
short-term, in-kind emergency disaster relief and services, or from assistance that
delivers in-kind services at the community level, provides assistance without
individual determinations of each recipient’s needs, and is necessary for the
protection of life and safety. As legislation to ease the eligibility rules of major
federal programs for Hurricane Katrina victims generally is under consideration, the
question of whether to ease the specific rules for immigrants has arisen (S. 1695).
Most avenues for immigration require that aliens have a family member or
employer who is eligible, able, and willing to sponsor them. There are very few
immigration opportunities based on self petitioning. The loss of life, devastation of
businesses, or depletion of personal assets directly affects visa qualifications for
otherwise eligible aliens who are victims of Hurricane Katrina or the family of
victims. It also affects nonimmigrants whose purposes for the temporary visas are
disrupted by the hurricane and its aftermath. Legislation comparable to that enacted
for surviving family of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has passed
the House (H.R. 3827).
Finally, at various times in the past, the government has given discretionary
relief from deportation so that aliens who have not been legally admitted to the
United States or whose temporary visas have expired nonetheless may remain in this
country temporarily. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, for
example, family members of victims whose own immigration status was dependent
on the victim’s immigration status were assured that they should not be concerned
about facing immediate removal from the United States. This report will be updated.

Contents
In troduction ......................................................1
Personal Identification and Employment Eligibility.......................2
Noncitizen Eligibility for Federal Assistance............................3
Legal Permanent Residents......................................4
Unauthorized Aliens...........................................5
Disaster Assistance............................................6
Preservation of Immigrant Visa Benefits................................7
Loss of Sponsor...............................................8
Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility..........................10
Relief from Removal..............................................11

Hurricane Katrina-Related Immigration
Issues and Legislation
Introduction
The devastation and displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf
Coast region of the United States pose a host of environmental, human resource, and
other public policy challenges. Caught in the web of this tragedy and its sweeping
dilemmas are a unique subset of immigration-related issues. The loss of livelihood,
habitat, and life itself has very specific implications for foreign nationals who lived
in the Gulf Coast region. Whether the noncitizen or foreign national is a legal
permanent resident (LPR), a nonimmigrant (e.g., temporary resident such a foreign
student, intracompany transferee, or guest worker) or an unauthorized alien (i.e.,
illegal immigrant) is a significant additional factor in how federal immigration and
public welfare laws are applied. In this context, the key question is whether Congress
should relax any of these laws pertaining to foreign nationals who are victims of
Hurricane Katrina.
The total number of foreign nationals affected by Hurricane Katrina is not
known. Survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau estimate that over 270,000 foreign-
born persons lived in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi in 2004.¹ The Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates that 34,242 naturalized citizens, 24,087
LPRs, and 71,992 nonimmigrants may be affected by Hurricane Katrina.² Jeffrey
Passel, a demographer who specializes in unauthorized migration, estimates that at
least an additional 20,000 to 35,000 unauthorized aliens are victims of Hurricane³
Katrina.
This report focuses on four immigration policy implications of Hurricane
Katrina. It opens with a discussion of employment verification and other
documentary problems arising for those who have lost their personal identification
documents. It follows with an overview of the rules for noncitizen eligibility for
federal benefits. Issues pertaining to how the loss of life or livelihood affects
eligibility for immigration visa benefits are discussed next. The report closes with

¹ U.S. Bureau of the Census, published data for Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi from
the 2004 American Community Survey.
² The DHS estimates are based on an analysis of data from FEMA, the US Census Bureau,
DHS Office of Immigration Statistics, and USCIS databases, and provided by USCIS Office
of Congressional Relations, Sept. 15, 2005.
³ E. Eduardo Castillo, “Illegal Immigrants Afraid to Get Storm Aid,” Associated Press, Sept.

9, 2005.

background on relief from removal options for Katrina-affected aliens. Legislation
addressing these policy areas is discussed in the relevant sections.
Personal Identification and Employment Eligibility
Many of the victims of Hurricane Katrina lack personal identification
documents as a result of being evacuated from their homes, loss or damage to
personal items and records, and ongoing displacement in shelters and temporary
housing. As a result of the widespread damage and destruction to government
facilities in the area affected by the hurricane, moreover, many victims will be unable
to have personal documents re-issued in the near future. Lack of adequate personal
identification documentation, a problem for all victims, has specific consequences
under immigration law, especially when it comes to employment.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requires employers to verify
employment eligibility and establish identity through specified documents presented
by the employee — citizens and foreign nationals alike. Specifically, §274(a)(1)(B)
of the INA makes it illegal for an employer to hire any person — citizen or alien —
without first verifying the person’s authorization to work in the United States.
Employers (and recruiters and referrers for a fee) must examine documents and attest
that they appear to be genuine and relate to the individual. If a document does not
reasonably appear on its face to be genuine and relate to the person presenting it, the
employer may not accept it. Under INA §274(b), employers may not specify which
document(s) the person must present. The INA and applicable regulations provide
for three categories of documents: (1) those that establish both identity and
employment eligibility; (2) those that establish identity only; and (3) those that⁴
establish work eligibility only.
Employers who fail to properly comply as required by law are subject to
sanctions. Specifically, employers who fail to complete, retain, and/or present the
proper form (known as the I-9) for inspection may be subject to a civil penalty for
violations ranging from $110-$1,100 per employee. For a violation of hiring
unauthorized aliens, an employer can also face: $275-$2,200 fine for each
unauthorized individual; $2,200-$5,500 for each employee if the employer has
previously been in violation; and, $3,300-$11,000 for each individual if the employer
was subject to more than one cease and desist order.⁵
On September 6, 2005, DHS, the federal department responsible for enforcing
these provisions of law, issued a statement that it would not bring sanction actions
against employers for hiring individuals evacuated or displaced as a result of
Hurricane Katrina.
... the Department of Homeland Security will refrain from initiating employer
sanction enforcement actions for the next 45 days for civil violations, under

⁴ For a more complete discussion, see CRS Report RS22180, Unauthorized Employment of
Aliens: Basics of Employer Sanctions, by Alison Smith.
⁵ Ibid. INA §274A(a)(1)(A) and §274A(a)(2).

Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act, with regard to individuals
who are currently unable to provide identity and eligibility documents as a result
of the hurricane. Employers will still need to complete the Employment
Eligibility Verification (I-9) Form as much as possible but should note at this
time that the documentation normally required is not available due to the events
involving Hurricane Katrina. At the end of 45 days, the Department of⁶
Homeland Security will review this policy and make further recommendations.
Given that the individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina are now scattered
across the United States, this moratorium on sanctioning employers may have broad
implications and is not without its critics. Representative Lamar Smith, for example,
is quoted as saying: “Hurricane Katrina has caused a situation unlike any we have
ever had to endure, but that does not mean that the Department of Homeland Security
has the authority to ignore important laws.” Representative Smith, who sits on the
House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security
and Claims, continued, “the end result may be worthwhile, but that does not mean
that federal agencies can disregard statutes put in place to protect American jobs.”⁷
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the records
in its New Orleans office were not damaged and that field offices assisting hurricane
victims in replacing official documentation. USCIS stated that it will be verifying
identity and immigration status before re-issuing any immigration related document
and will be utilizing its electronic file data to perform identity verification where⁸
possible.
On September 21, 2005, the House of Representatives passed under suspension
of the rules, H.R. 3827, the Immigration Relief for Hurricane Katrina Victims Act of
2005. Among other provisions, H.R. 3827 would amend the INA to authorize DHS
to waive for not more than 90 days employer attestation or verification requirements
due to disaster-caused document loss (during a major disaster-declaration period).
The House-passed bill also would authorize DHS to replace or provide temporary
identity and employment authorization documents lost, stolen, or destroyed as a
consequence of Hurricane Katrina.
Noncitizen Eligibility for Federal Assistance
Lack of sufficient documentation to confirm eligibility for federal programs and
assistance is a core issue for all victims, not merely those who are noncitizens. The
eligibility of noncitizens for public assistance programs, moreover, is based on a
complex set of rules that are determined largely by the type of noncitizen in question

⁶ U.S. Department of Homeland Security, “Notice Regarding I-9 Documentation
Requirements for Hiring Hurricane Victims,” Press Release, Sept. 6, 2005.
⁷ Jerry Seper and Stephen Dinan, “Verification Rules for Workers Eased,” Washington
Times, Sept. 9, 2005.
⁸ U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS
Operations After Hurricane Katrina FAQ, Sept. 8, 2005.

and the nature of services being offered.⁹ The Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) is the key statute that spells
out the eligibility rules for noncitizens seeking federal assistance. As legislation to
ease the federal eligibility rules for public assistance for Hurricane Katrina victims
generally is under consideration, the question of whether to ease the specific rules for
noncitizens has arisen (S. 1695).¹⁰
Legal Permanent Residents
Under current law, noncitizens’ eligibility for the major federal means-tested
benefit programs largely depends on their immigration status and whether they
arrived in the United States (or were on a program’s rolls) before August 22, 1996,
the enactment date of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193). The basic rules are as follows:
^!Refugees and asylees are eligible for SSI benefits and Medicaid for
seven years after arrival, and for five years under TANF.¹¹ After this
term, they generally are ineligible for SSI, but may be eligible, at
state option, for Medicaid and TANF.
^!LPRs with a substantial work history — generally 10 years (40
quarters) of work documented by Social Security or other
employment records — or a military connection (active duty military
personnel, veterans, and their families) are eligible for the full range
of programs.
^!All aliens who have resided in the United States for five or more
years as “qualified aliens” — i.e., LPRs, refugees/asylees, and other
non-temporary legal residents (such as Cuban/Haitian entrants) are
eligible for food stamps.
^!LPRs receiving SSI as of August 22, 1996, continue to be eligible.
^!Medicaid coverage is required for all otherwise qualified SSI
recipients (they must meet SSI noncitizen eligibility tests).
^!Disabled LPRs who were legally resident as of August 22, 1996, are
eligible for SSI.

⁹ For a full discussion, see CRS Report RL31114, Noncitizen Eligibility for Major Federal
Public Assistance Programs: Policies and Legislation, by Ruth Ellen Wasem; CRS Report
RS21470, Noncitizen Eligibility For Major Federal Public Assistance Programs: Legal
Concepts, by Alison Smith; and CRS Report RL32363, State Policies on Immigrant
Eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), by Ruth Ellen Wasem.
¹⁰ For discussion of these legislative activities, see CRS Report RS22258, Federal Food
Assistance: Hurricane Katrina, by Joe Richardson; and CRS Report RS22246, Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Its Role in Response to the Effects of Hurricane
Katrina, by Gene Falk.
¹¹ Refugee/asylee treatment is accorded to Cuban/Haitian entrants, certain aliens whose
deportation/removal is withheld for humanitarian purposes, Vietnam-born Amerasians
fathered by U.S. citizens, and victims of human trafficking. For those aliens who arrive in
the United States without one of these forms of humanitarian relief, the seven- or five-year
period begins after the date the aliens receive the status.

^!LPRs receiving government disability payments, so long as they pass
any noncitizen eligibility test established by the disability program
(e.g., SSI recipients would have to meet SSI noncitizen requirements
in order to get food stamps) are eligible for food stamps.¹²
^!LPRs who were elderly (65+) and legally resident as of August 22,

1996, are eligible for food stamps.

^!LPRs who are children (under 18) are eligible for food stamps.
^!LPRs entering after August 22, 1996, are barred from TANF and
Medicaid for five years, after which their coverage becomes a state
option.¹³ For SSI, the five-year bar for new entrants is irrelevant
because they generally are denied eligibility (without a time limit).
Several bills that would waive the categorical eligible requirements for various
federal programs in the case of Hurricane Katrina victims have been introduced, but
most are silent on the issue of noncitizens. On September 13, however, legislation
to provide the Secretary of Agriculture with additional authority and funding to
provide emergency relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina (S. 1695) was introduced,
and, among other provisions, this bill would treat legal immigrants in the United
States who are victims of Hurricane Katrina as refugees for the purposes of food
stamps.¹⁴
Unauthorized Aliens
The PRWOR of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) also denies most federal benefits,
regardless of whether they are means tested, to unauthorized aliens (often referred to
as illegal aliens). The class of benefits denied is broad and covers: (1) grants,
contracts, loans, and licenses; and (2) retirement, welfare, health, disability, housing,
food, unemployment, postsecondary education, and similar benefits. So defined, this
bar covers many programs whose enabling statutes do not individually make
citizenship or immigration status a criterion for participation. Thus, programs that
previously were not individually restricted — the earned income tax credit, social
services block grants, and migrant health centers, for example — became unavailable
to unauthorized aliens, unless they fall within the act’s limited exceptions. These
programmatic exceptions include
^!treatment under Medicaid for emergency medical conditions (other
than those related to an organ transplant);¹⁵

¹² For SSI eligibility, disabled LPRs must meet SSI permanent and total disability standards.
For food stamp eligibility, disabled LPRs must be receiving governmental benefits for
disability (e.g., SSI, Social Security disability payments, certain veterans disability benefits).
¹³ This five-year ban on eligibility for new entrants also applies to a program closely related
to the Medicaid program — the State Children’s Health Insurance program (SCHIP). It is
the only categorical noncitizen eligibility rule affecting SCHIP.
¹⁴ For discussion of these legislative activities, see CRS Report RL33102, Federal Food
Assistance in Disasters: Hurricane Katrina and Rita, by Joe Richardson.
¹⁵ For analysis, see CRS Report RL31630, Federal Funding for Unauthorized Aliens’
(continued...)

^!short-term, in-kind emergency disaster relief;¹⁶
^!immunizations against immunizable diseases and testing for and
treatment of symptoms of communicable diseases;
^!services or assistance (such as soup kitchens, crisis counseling and
intervention, and short-term shelters) designated by the Attorney
General as: (i) delivering in-kind services at the community level;
(ii) providing assistance without individual determinations of each
recipient’s needs; and (iii) being necessary for the protection of life
and safety;¹⁷ and
^!to the extent that an alien was receiving assistance on the date of
enactment, programs administered by the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development, programs under Title V of the Housing Act of
1949, and assistance under Section 306C of the Consolidated Farm
and Rural Development Act.¹⁸
P.L. 104-193 also permits unauthorized aliens to receive Old Age, Survivors,
and Disability Insurance benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act (SSA), if
the benefits are protected by that title or by treaty or are paid under applications made
before August 22, 1996.¹⁹ Separately, the P.L. 104-193 states that individuals who
are eligible for free public education benefits under state and local law shall remain
eligible to receive school lunch and school breakfast benefits. (The act itself does not
address a state’s obligation to grant all aliens equal access to education under the
Supreme Court’s decision in Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982).) P.L. 104-193
expressly bars unauthorized aliens from most state and locally funded benefits. The
restrictions on these benefits parallel the restrictions on federal benefits.
Disaster Assistance
As noted in the above discussion, noncitizens — regardless of their immigration
status — are not barred from short-term, in-kind emergency disaster relief and
services or assistance that deliver in-kind services at the community level, provide
assistance without individual determinations of each recipient’s needs, and are
necessary for the protection of life and safety.²⁰ Moreover, the Robert T. Stafford

¹⁵ (...continued)
Emergency Medical Expenses, by Alison Siskin.
¹⁶ For further analysis, see CRS Congressional Distribution Memorandum, Noncitizen
Eligibility for Disaster-Related Assistance, by Alison Siskin , Feb. 15, 2002.
¹⁷ Federal Register, vol. 61, no. 170, p. 45985, Aug. 30, 1996.
¹⁸ Subtitle E of Title V of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act
(Division C of P.L. 104-208) later facilitated the removal of unauthorized aliens from
housing assistance. For analysis, see CRS Report RL31753, Immigration: Noncitizen
Eligibility for Needs-Based Housing Programs, by Alison Siskin and Maggie McCarty.
¹⁹ The SSA requires that aliens be “legally present” to actually receive benefits in the United
States. For further discussion, see CRS Report RL32004, Social Security Benefits for
Noncitizens: Current Policy and Legislation, by Dawn Nuschler and Alison Siskin.
²⁰ For a more complete analysis, see CRS Congressional Distribution Memorandum,
(continued...)

Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act,²¹ the authority under which the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducts disaster assistance
efforts, requires nondiscrimination and equitable treatment in disaster assistance:
The President shall issue, and may alter and amend, such regulations as may be
necessary for the guidance of personnel carrying out Federal assistance functions
at the site of a major disaster or emergency. Such regulations shall include
provisions for insuring that the distribution of supplies, the processing of
applications, and other relief and assistance activities shall be accomplished in
an equitable and impartial manner, without discrimination on the grounds of²²
race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, or economic status.
FEMA assistance provided under the Stafford Act includes (but is not limited to)
grants for immediate temporary shelter, cash grants for uninsured emergency
personal needs, temporary housing assistance, home repair grants, unemployment
assistance due to the disaster, emergency food supplies, legal aid for low-income
individuals, and crisis counseling.²³
Media accounts of aliens who are fearful of seeking emergency assistance
following Hurricane Katrina infer that the reported reluctance is due more to the risk
of deportation than restricted access to benefits. “We want to provide food, water,
shelter and medical supplies to everyone,” stated DHS spokesperson Joanna
Gonzalez. She further assured, “No one should be afraid to accept our offers to
provide safety.” According to Gonzalez, rescuers had not been asking people
whether they are in the country legally when they are rescuing them. DHS initially
did not issue a statement clarifying whether information that FEMA gathers on
unauthorized aliens would be shared with law enforcement agencies, most notably²⁴
the DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) bureau. Subsequently,
Gonzalez explained, “... as we move forward with the response, we can’t turn a blind²⁵
eye to the law.”
Preservation of Immigrant Visa Benefits
Immigration admissions are subject to a complex set of numerical limits and
preference categories that give priority for admission on the basis of family

²⁰ (...continued)
Noncitizen Eligibility for Disaster-Related Assistance, by Alison Siskin, Feb. 15, 2002.
²¹ 42 U.S.C. §5121 et. seq.
²² 42 U.S.C. §5151.
²³ For a full discussion of available assistance, see CRS Report RL33053, Federal Stafford
Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding, by
Keith Bea.
²⁴ Suzanne Gamboa, “Feds Stop Short in Assurances for Illegal Immigrants,” Associated
Press, Sept. 8, 2005.
²⁵ Darryl Fears, “For Illegal Immigrants, Some Aid Is Too Risky,” Washington Post, Sept.

20, 2005.

relationships, needed skills, and geographic diversity. There are very few
immigration avenues based on self petitioning; most require that aliens have a family
member or employer who is eligible, able, and willing to sponsor them. The loss of
life, devastation of businesses, or depletion of personal assets directly affects visa
qualifications for otherwise eligible aliens who are victims of Hurricane Katrina or
the family of victims. It also affects nonimmigrants whose purposes for the
temporary visas are disrupted by the hurricane and its aftermath.
Loss of Sponsor
The largest number of immigrants is admitted because of a family relationship
to a U.S. citizen or LPR. Specifically the family relationships are: immediate
relatives of U.S. citizens;²⁶ the spouses and children of LPRs; the adult children of
U.S. citizens; and, the siblings of adult U.S. citizens.²⁷ As of July 2005, most
relatives of U.S. citizens and LPRs were waiting in backlogs for a visa to become
available, with the brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens waiting almost 12 years.²⁸
Married adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens who filed petitions seven years ago
(February 1, 1998) were being processed for visas in July. Prospective family-
sponsored immigrants from the Philippines have the most substantial waiting times
before a visa is scheduled to become available to them; consular officers are now
considering the petitions of the brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens from the
Philippines who filed 22 years ago. If the person in the United States who is
petitioning for the relative dies while the alien is waiting for the visa, the prospective
LPR is no longer eligible for the LPR visa.
In terms of most employment-based LPRs, employers hiring prospective LPRs
to work for them petition with USCIS on behalf of the alien and submit applications
with the Employment and Training Administration in Department of Labor (DOL)
to certify employment of the worker. The prospective LPR must demonstrate that he
or she meets the qualifications for the particular job as well as the INA preference
category. If DOL determines that a labor shortage exists in the occupation for which
the petition is filed, labor certification will be issued.²⁹ If the petitioning employer

²⁶ “Immediate relatives” are defined by the INA to include the spouses and unmarried minor
children of U.S. citizens, and the parents of adult U.S. citizens.
²⁷ INA §203(a), §203(b) and §204; 8 U.S.C. §1153.
²⁸ According to the INA, family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas are
issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition has been filed. When visa
demand exceeds the numerical limit, visas are prorated according to preference system
allocations. For analysis of immigration admissions categories, numerical limits, and visa
priority dates, see CRS Report RL32235, U.S. Immigration Policy on Permanent
Admissions, by Ruth Ellen Wasem.
²⁹ The employment-based LPR visa categories that require employers to apply for
certification from DOL are categories for the following: members of the professions
holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional abilities in the sciences, art, or business;
skilled shortage workers with at least two years training or experience; professionals with
baccalaureate degrees; and unskilled shortage workers. INA §212(a)(4)(c)(i); 8 U.S.C.
§1182.

no longer can employ the worker, the prospective LPR is no longer eligible for an
immigrant visa.
The “Immigration Relief for Hurricane Katrina Victims Act of 2005” (H.R.
3827) was introduced by the Hon. James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House
Committee on the Judiciary, and Hon. John Conyers, the ranking member of the
House Committee on the Judiciary on September 20,2005 and passed the House
under suspension of the rules on September 21, 2005. This bill is comparable to the
provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act (P.L. 107-56) that provided immigration relief
for family members of those killed by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
H.R. 3827 would authorize DHS to provide special immigration status to
^!an alien beneficiary of an immigration petition, nonimmigrant fiance
or fiancee K-visa, or labor certification application filed on or before
August 29, 2005 (Hurricane Katrina) if the petitioner, applicant, or
beneficiary died, was disabled, or lost employment due to the
damage or destruction of his or her workplace;
^!an alien who as of such date was the spouse or child of such alien
and was accompanying or following to join such alien by August 29,
2007; and
^!an alien who is the grandparent of a child whose parents died as a
consequence of Hurricane Katrina, if at least one of the parents on
August 29, 2005, was a U.S. citizen, national, or legal permanent
resident.
H.R. 3827 also would automatically extend legal nonimmigrant visa status in the
United States for some nonimmigrant visa holders. This provision would cover those
aliens who were disabled due to Hurricane Katrina-related injury, or spouses and
children of an alien who died or was disabled in Hurricane Katrina.
In addition, H.R. 3827 would provide that an alien who, as of August 29, 2005,
was the spouse or child of a refugee, asylee, or employment-based immigrant who
died as a consequence of Hurricane Katrina would have his or her respective refugee,
asylee, or status adjustment claim determined as if the death had not occurred. In
these instances, the bill would waive the public charge inadmissibility grounds.
Similarly, the USA PATRIOT Act contained provisions designed to insure that
certain aliens did not lose immigration benefits due to circumstances resulting from
the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. The act granted
immigration benefits to some surviving spouses, children, and in some cases, parents,
of U.S. citizens or LPRs killed or disabled on September 11, 2001. More specifically
under §421 of the Patriot Act, a surviving spouse, child, or fiancé regained the chance
to immigrate by self-petitioning for him or herself. The act also enabled a
grandparent of a child orphaned by the events of September 11 to self-petition, if the
alien was the grandparent of a child, both of whose parents died in the terrorist
attacks.
In addition, §421 of the Patriot Act allowed prospective employment-based
LPRs who were beneficiaries of approved labor certifications that were revoked due

to the disabling of the principal alien or the loss of his/her employment due to
physical damage caused by the terrorist attacks of September 11 to pursue their visa
petition. It also extended that opportunity to surviving spouses or children of aliens
killed in the attacks who were employment-based LPR or who had
employment-based petitions pending on September 10, 2001.
Finally, §422 of the Patriot Act automatically extended legal nonimmigrant visa
status in the United States for some nonimmigrant visa holders. This provision
covers those aliens who were disabled in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,
or spouses and children of an alien who died or was disabled in those attacks.
Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility
The grounds of inadmissibility are an important basis for denying foreign
nationals admission to the United States, and one of these grounds bars the admission
of aliens who are considered likely to become a public charge (e.g., indigent).³⁰ All
aliens seeking LPR visas who are family-based immigrants as well as employment-
based immigrants who are sponsored by a relative must have binding affidavits of
support signed by U.S. sponsors in order to show that they will not become public
charges.³¹ To qualify as a sponsor, the individual must be a U.S. citizen or legal
permanent resident who is at least 18 years old, domiciled in the United States, and
able to support both the sponsor’s family and the alien’s immigrating family
members at an annual income level equal to at least 125% of the federal poverty
guideline.³² The affidavit of support is a legally binding contract enforceable against
the affiant (i.e., sponsor) if the immigrant collects any means-tested benefit.³³
At issue is whether victims of Hurricane Katrina will be considered public
charges in the context of admissibility for LPR visas if they or their sponsors cannot
now support their family at an annual income level equal to at least 125% of the
federal poverty guideline.³⁴ In 1999, the former Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS) proposed a regulation that defined “public charge” to mean an

³⁰ §212(a) of the INA; 8 U.S.C. §1182.
³¹ In recent years, most LPR petitioners rejected on INA exclusionary grounds were rejected
because the consular officers in the Department of State determined that the aliens were
inadmissible as likely public charges. For this analysis, see “Table 1. Immigrants Refused
Visa by Grounds of Inadmissibility,” in CRS Report RL31512, Visa Issuances: Policy,
Issues, and Legislation, by Ruth Ellen Wasem.
³² 8 U.S.C. §1183a(f)(1), as added by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act of 1996, P. L. 104-208, §551(a), 110 Stat. 3009, 3009-675; 8 C.F.R.
§213a.2(c).
³³ 8 C.F.R. §213a.1 defines “means-tested public benefit.” This includes Food Stamps,
Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF).
³⁴ §212(a)(4) of INA specifies, “in determining whether an alien is excludable under this
paragraph, the consular officer or the Attorney General shall at a minimum consider the
alien’s (I) age; (II) health; (III) family status; (IV) assets, resources, and financial status; and
(V) education and skills.” 8 U.S.C. §1182.

individual who has become or who is likely to become “primarily dependent on the
government for subsistence, as demonstrated by either the receipt of public cash
assistance for income maintenance or institutionalization for long-term care at
government expense.”³⁵
At that same time, the INS also issued field guidance to alleviate “considerable
public confusion about the relationship between the receipt of federal, state, and local
public benefits” and “public charge” determinations in immigration law.³⁶ Among
other policy pronouncements, this 1999 guidance addresses the following concerns:
^!use of non-cash benefits by an immigrant (other than
institutionalization for long-term care at government expense) may
not be considered during public charge determinations, nor may cash
benefits be considered unless they are for purposes of income
maintenance;
^!use of cash benefits for income maintenance by an immigrant’s
family members is not attributed to the immigrant when determining
if the immigrant is likely to become a public charge unless the
family relies on the benefits as its sole means of support; and
^!an immigrant’s use of cash public assistance for income
maintenance or institutionalization for long-term care at government
expense may be considered during public charge determinations.³⁷
Final regulations on this matter have not been promulgated.
Relief from Removal
At various times in the past, the Attorney General has provided, under certain
conditions, discretionary relief from deportation so that aliens who have not been
legally admitted to the United States or whose temporary visa has expired
nonetheless may remain in this country temporarily. The statutory authority cited for
these discretionary procedures has generally been that portion of immigration law
that confers on the Attorney General the authority for general enforcement and the
section of the law covering the authority for voluntary departure.³⁸
The Attorney General has provided blanket relief by means of the suspension
of enforcement of the immigration laws against a particular group of individuals. In
addition to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) which may be provided by the

³⁵ Federal Register, “Inadmissibility and Deportability on Public Charge Grounds,” vol. 64,
pp. 28675-28688, May 26, 1999.
³⁶ Federal Register, “Field Guidance on Deportability and Inadmissibility on Public Charge
Grounds,” vol. 64, May 26, 1999.
³⁷ Linton Joaquin and Braden Cancilla, “Protecting Immigrants and the Community: A New
Approach to Public Charge Determinations,” Interpreter Releases, vol. 76, June 7, 1999.
³⁸ INA §240; 8 U.S.C. §1229a; INA §240B; 8 U.S.C. §1229c.

Secretary of DHS,³⁹ the two most common discretionary procedures to provide relief
from deportation have been deferred departure or deferred enforced departure (DED)
and extended voluntary departure (EVD). Unlike TPS, aliens who benefit from EVD
or DED do not necessarily register for the status with USCIS, but they trigger the
protection when they are identified for deportation. If, however, they wish to be
employed in the United States, they must apply for a work authorization from
USCIS.
In 1992, the Administration of George H.W. Bush granted DED to about 80,000
Chinese following the June 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, and the Chinese
retained DED through January 1994. The George H.W. Bush Administration also
granted DED to what was then an estimated 190,000 Salvadorans through December
1994. On December 23, 1997, President William Clinton instructed the Attorney
General to grant DED to the Haitians for one year.⁴⁰
Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, INS issued a press release
announcing that family members of victims of the terrorist attacks whose own
immigration status was dependent on the victim’s immigration status should not be
concerned about facing immediate removal from the United States. The then-
Commissioner James Ziglar stated: “The INS will exercise its discretion in a
compassionate way toward families of victims during this time of mourning and
readjustment. On September 19, we began to advise our offices to exercise
compassionate discretion in these circumstances.”⁴¹
Some, including a group of Democratic Senators, have requested that DHS
Secretary Michael Chertoff issue a formal statement reassuring immigrant victims
of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina that they can seek help from relief agencies without
fear of deportation or being turned over to immigration authorities.⁴²

³⁹ TPS is blanket relief from removal to aliens from a foreign state that may be granted under
the following conditions: there is ongoing armed conflict posing serious threat to personal
safety; a foreign state requests TPS because it temporarily cannot handle the return of
nationals due to environmental disaster; or there are extraordinary and temporary conditions
in a foreign state that prevent aliens from returning, provided that granting TPS is consistent
with U.S. national interests. §244 of INA (8 U.S.C. §1254a). Under the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296), the INS was transferred to DHS. As a part of this transfer, the
responsibility for administering the TPS program was transferred from the Attorney General
to the Secretary of the DHS.
⁴⁰ In prior years, various other Administrations have given EVD status to Poles (July 1984
to Mar. 1989), Nicaraguans (July 1979 to Sept. 1980), Iranians (Apr. to Dec. 1979), and
Ugandans (June 1978 to Sept. 1986). Lebanese had been handled sympathetically as a
group, getting EVD on a case-by-case basis since 1976, prior to receiving TPS from 1991
to 1993. Other countries whose nationals have benefitted in the past from a status similar
to EVD include Cambodia, Cuba, Chile, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Hungary,
Laos, Rumania, and Vietnam.
⁴¹ U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service, “Families of Victims
of Terrorist Attacks,” News Release, Oct. 10, 2001.
⁴² Darryl Fears, “For Illegal Immigrants, Some Aid Is Too Risky,” Washington Post, Sept.
(continued...)

Meanwhile, it appears that some foreign nationals who were adversely affected
by Hurricane Katrina are beginning to depart the United States voluntarily. Mexican
consular officials in the United States, for example, are reportedly helping to
repatriate Mexicans when the person who has been displaced by the hurricane
requests it.⁴³ Initially it was unclear whether ICE would initiate forcible repatriations
targeting unauthorized aliens who were victims of Hurricane Katrina.⁴⁴ More recently
there have been reports, however, of unauthorized aliens who were victims of
Hurricane Katrina being arrested, detained, and ordered deported.

⁴² (...continued)
20, 2005. Copies of the Democratic Senators’ letters to Secretary Chertoff are available on
line at [http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=246545].
⁴³ E. Eduardo Castillo, “Illegal Immigrants Afraid to Get Storm Aid,” Associated Press,
Sept. 9, 2005.
⁴⁴ Suzanne Gamboa, “Feds Stop Short in Assurances for Illegal Immigrants,” Associated
Press, Sept. 8, 2005.