(Excerpted from NILC’s Guide to Immigrant Eligibility for Federal Programs, 2002 ed.)
Hurricane Katrina and Gulf Coast-related Information
Like all others who have suffered from the hurricane and its aftermath, non-U.S. citizens who were living in the affected zone when Katrina hit have lost their lives, their loved ones, their homes, jobs, and possessions. Their need for relief is the same as that of other survivors, but other circumstances they face as noncitizens could prevent them from accessing relief that is available to others. Hence the recommendations in this memo.
The House bill that passed on Sept. 21, 2005, is disappointing because it leaves in place provisions of our immigration law that threaten to act as a second wave of harm to hurricane survivors whose livelihood has already been destroyed by the storm.
