A comprehensive study conducted by the Center for Immigration Studies has brought to light that households led by illegal immigrants tend to use welfare benefits more frequently than those headed by U.S.-born citizens. The results of the study, derived from the 2022 Survey of Income and Program Participation and published in December 2023, have ignited conversations around immigration policy and welfare eligibility.
The report indicates a notable 15 percentage point difference in welfare program usage between immigrant households (54%) and U.S.-born citizen households (39%). A closer look at the data shows that non-citizen households, specifically, have a 59% usage rate. It suggests that the legal status of individuals plays a significant role in the patterns of welfare utilization.
Food assistance programs and Medicaid show substantial disparities in usage between the two groups. With 36% of immigrant households using food programs, compared to 25% for U.S.-born households, and Medicaid participation at 37% versus 25%, respectively, the gap is clear. The study also highlights a smaller, yet significant, difference in the usage of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Despite these numbers, the study also highlights that 94% of immigrant households have at least one working family member, compared to 73% for U.S.-born citizen households. This fact suggests that the higher welfare usage among immigrant families occurs alongside, not in place of, active workforce participation.
Researchers from the Center for Immigration Studies underline that this welfare access is a result of legitimate eligibility pathways, and not due to fraud or system abuse. The report points out that illegal immigrants can legally receive welfare for their U.S.-born children and that immigrant children can directly benefit from programs like school lunches and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program.
Further complexity arises from state-level policy decisions, with some states extending Medicaid and SNAP benefits to certain illegal immigrants through state-funded programs. Additionally, work authorization programs such as DACA and TPS allow millions of illegal immigrants to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit.
The study’s findings come at a time when tensions are high between local officials and federal immigration authorities. Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NY) was recently arrested for obstructing ICE agents, facing a possible 17 years in prison if convicted. Similarly, Wisconsin's Superior Court Judge Hannah Dugan faces felony charges for allegedly interfering with the arrest of an illegal immigrant.
These incidents underscore the contentious nature of immigration policy and enforcement in the United States. The study has provided a detailed analysis of welfare usage among different demographic groups, sparking debate and raising questions about the implications for future immigration and welfare policies.
