ImmigrationGOP proposes ending child tax credits to undocumented immigrants

A new proposal by Republican lawmakers could endchild tax credits to undocumented immigrants.

Under the legislation, individuals who claim child tax credits must present their Social Security numbers to prove they are legal workers. The proposed change comes as lawmakers negotiate how to pay for extending Social Security benefits for most Americans, and over the next decade, the plan is projected to reduce federal spending by roughly $10 billion.

Many Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D – Nevada) are opposed to the law, arguing that it unfairly targets the children of poor Hispanic workers who are often U.S. citizens.

Speaking to Fox News, Leticia Miranda, the senior policy adviser of the National Council of La Raza, said, “People who are making close to the minimum wage and are raising children in this country — and we’re asking them to pay for the payroll tax cut?”

“It’s outrageous and it’s crazy,” she said.

Six out of every seven affected families under the proposed law are Hispanic with an average annual household income of approximately $21,000, so tax credits of up to $1,000 per child has a significant impact on their income.

In contrast, Republicans as well as some Democrats say the federal government should not be paying for families who have snuck into the country illegally, especially in light of the current fiscal climate.

“We have rules about tax credits and benefits, and it seems to me they need to be applied fairly and across the board,” argued Senator Claire McCaskill (D – Missouri). “If there are rules, they need to be enforced. I think it’s just that simple. I don’t think it’s complicated.”

Undocumented immigrants are currently banned from other refundable tax credits, designed as an anti-poverty tool where low-income workers do not owe income taxes and receive payments from the government, like the earned income tax credit.

The current child tax credit, established in 1997, does not specifically bar undocumented immigrants. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, in 2010 more than $4 billion in child credits were disbursed to 2.3 million people who filed tax returns but did not have Social Security numbers.

Immigration advocates argue that in many cases the tax credits go to workers who are not citizens, but have children who were born in the United States and have Social Security numbers.

An alternative to the proposal under consideration would be to require recipients of the child tax credit to provide the Social Security numbers of their children if they do not have their own.

“I just think the child tax credit is working just fine and there’s no need to punish children,” Senator Reid said. “We’re supposed to try to be helping them.”