3 MILLION REASONS THAT MAKE TOMORROW A CRUCIAL DAY FOR THE FUTURE OF PUERTO RICO

Tomorrow’s SCOTUS oral arguments in the United States v. Vaello-Madero case may be the most important milestone in Puerto Rico’s historical fight for equality.

United States v. Vaello-Madero

Imagine you are a retiree receiving benefits under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program[1] living in New York. Fed up with the harsh, long winters, you decide to relocate to beautiful, sunny Puerto Rico where no snow ever falls and temperatures average 80 degrees.

You pack your bags and take off to a new peaceful life where you go to sleep to the songs of the coquís and wake up to those of the reinitas.

After a few months living in the island, the Social Security Administration knocks on your door. Its agents demand that you return part of the retirement benefits they paid to you since you relocated to the United States’ territory of Puerto Rico since Congress provided that the SSI is not available to anyone who lives for over 30 days “outside of the United States”.

When you refuse to return any of the hard-earned benefits you received, the agency sues you in federal court for collection of money. They assert that despite Puerto Ricans’ equal contr…