Wilson Has Fight on U.S. Funds for Immigration

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Pete Wilson is heading for a tough fight as he seeks to wrench $1.4 billion from the federal government to pay the cost of services for poor immigrants, congressional sources say.

Wilson argues that the federal government made commitments to pay the costs of immigration. But little money has been forthcoming, and California has been left to bear the full cost of health, education and welfare for large numbers of refugees and recent immigrants, legal and illegal.

Wilson made a trip to Washington last year to push for full federal funding of the program, but failed to persuade the President of his own political party to find the money.

Wilson hopes that President-elect Bill Clinton, a Democrat, will be sympathetic to his pleadings, given the former Arkansas governor’s position that states should not be saddled with paying the costs of federally mandated programs.

Although California’s congressional delegation has supported reimbursing the state for the cost of immigration, the chance of getting the money took a turn for the worse when Rep. Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles retired. Roybal chaired a key appropriations subcommittee, though in that position he failed to get California as much as it sought.

“I don’t know where Clinton stands, but I know the budgetary problems--$1.4 billion is a very tall order,” said Tom Keaney, chief of staff to Rep. Robert T. Matsui (D-Sacramento).

“We may not collect it all, but it is the right thing to go after it,” a Wilson Administration official said.

Wilson Administration officials point out that California remains the overwhelming destination for recent immigrants and refugees. The state has by far the largest number of refugees--600,000.

California spends $485 million a year on welfare earmarked for families of recent immigrants and refugees. Refugees and newly arrived immigrants receive more than $140 million a year in Medi-Cal payments. Disabled refugees cost the state $20 million a year.

Another 100,000 illegal immigrants move here each year, Wilson noted. The estimated cost of providing medical service to them is $489 million a year, plus $93 million for prenatal services. Their children, if born here, are U.S. citizens and receive $41 million in health service.

Times staff writer Glenn F. Bunting contributed to this report.