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Full-Text Articles in Social Work
Reconstructing Citizenship In A Global Economy: How Restricting Immigrants From Welfare Undermines Social Rights For U.S. Citizens, Rupaleem Bhuyan
Reconstructing Citizenship In A Global Economy: How Restricting Immigrants From Welfare Undermines Social Rights For U.S. Citizens, Rupaleem Bhuyan
The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
Scrutiny of immigrants' use of public benefits is a reoccurring theme in U.S. politics. Yet while the tough stance on immigrants taps into popular anti-immigrant sentiment, the consequences of such scrutiny are shared by all welfare recipients. Drawing upon interpretive policy frames, I examine how new requirements to verify citizenship and identity for Medicaid directly impacts social entitlements for both citizen and non-citizen populations. Analysis of state reports and policy studies of citizenship verification requirements for Medicaid illustrate that verification costs may exceed the costs of fraudulent misuse by unqualified immigrants. I argue that devolutionary shifts in welfare and immigration …