Lewis & Clark Law Review
First Page
839
Abstract
Citizens of the Freely Associated States—the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Belau—are permitted to live and work in the United States without a visa under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA). Yet, for nearly three decades, COFA migrants were excluded from the federal public benefits safety net. This exclusion, a product of legislative oversight in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, devastated communities like the Marshallese in Springdale, Arkansas, who endured dangerous working conditions, poverty, and severe health vulnerabilities without access to critical federal benefits programs. While the COFA renewal in 2024 restored federal benefits eligibility, this Note argues that restored eligibility alone is insufficient, and recommends expanded language access resources and increased legislative awareness of COFA migrants to ensure the safety net does not fail them again.
Recommended Citation
Brian Aguilar,
Catching the Forgotten: Repairing the Safety Net for COFA Migrants in the United States,
29
Lewis & Clark L. Rev.
839
(2026).
Available at:
https://lawcommons.lclark.edu/lclr/vol29/iss4/5
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