Rebecca LeeSocial Needs PaperAccording to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) as it relates to immigration and refugee resettlement “Working toward fair and just immigration policies and refugees is important for the social work profession. and essential to the realization of human rights. Social workers recognize migration as a complex social, cultural and political process” (NASW, 2008). America is often considered and cited as the land of immigrants. Immigrants from South America, Africa, Asia, and many other countries often choose the United States as their permanent home. Immigrant families come to the United States for a variety of reasons, often simply for the increased number of opportunities. However, many times these immigrants arrive and cannot obtain legal permanent residency and therefore cannot meet even their most basic needs. Abraham Maslow described a hierarchy of needs, from the most basic to the most complex, in his 1943 article "A Theory of Human Motivation." In this hierarchy, basic needs begin at the physiological level and then move upward toward safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. When many immigrants arrive in the United States, they expect their needs to be taken care of and remain stunned to find that very few of those needs are met. Welfare is a form of public assistance for individuals who cannot meet minimum needs. level of well-being. The current welfare system in the United States does not properly respect immigrants. Social workers often face factors such as language barriers, lack of documentation, and lack of resources. Not only are there immigration laws and customs to follow, but there are also new ways to understand the impact they have on immigrants' lives. One of the duties of a social worker, according to the National Association of Social Worker (NASW) Code of Ethics, is that the social worker must "act to prevent and eliminate domination, exploitation, and discrimination against against any person, group or class on a social level. on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, martial status, political beliefs, religion, immigration status, or mental or physical disability” (NASW, 2008, para. 2.01). That being said, it is the duty of a social worker to ensure that the immigrant will not be dominated, exploited or discriminated against in obtaining the social assistance they need. Additionally, it is important for the social worker to understand an immigrant's needs, no matter how basic or complex they may be...