Advocates with Seedco, a nonprofit that helps to educate low-income residents about the government benefits available to them, say immigrant clients often fall prey to such rumors.
The New York-based nonprofit, which has locations in Maryland, Tennessee and Georgia, helps link residents with around 20 different kinds of benefits through a program called EarnBenefitsOnline .
Carlos Bolanos, a Baltimore-based EarnBenefits specialist who works largely with the Hispanic community, said he spends much of his days diffusing rumors. Some clients believe accepting benefits means their children will automatically be enlisted in the military someday; others believe they’ll eventually have to pay the money back.