Immigrants and Welfare
From Research Perspectives on Migration, Vol. 1, No. 1, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace -- International Migration Policy Project, with permission.
- Working-age immigrants who are not refugees participate in
both cash and non-cash based assistance programs at rates similar
to working-age natives.
- Immigrants with incomes below the poverty line are less likely
to participate in cash assistance than natives with incomes below
the poverty line. About 16 percent of poor immigrants use cash
programs, compared to 25 percent of poor natives.
- However, immigrants are also more likely to be poor than natives.
About 15 percent of U.S. citizens fall below the poverty line,
whereas 29 percent of non-citizens do so. About 11 percent of
non-citizens have incomes less than 50 percent of the poverty
line, compared to six percent of citizens.
- Approximately 1.4 million immigrants receive AFDC or SSI payments
totalling $4.5 billion annually. Their average monthly AFDC payment
is $133; their average SSI payment is $407. Estimates using a
more broadly defined package of benefits and counting benefits
from state and local as well as federal sources indicate that
immigrants receive approximately $25 billion annually in assistance
benefits.
- Refugees and elderly immigrants are more likely to receive
cash and non-cash assistance than other immigrants. Five percent
of AFDC recipients are immigrants, whereas 18.9 percent of aged
SSI recipients are immigrants.
- Overall immigrant use of welfare has been rising, regardless
of how "immigrant" and "welfare" are defined.
- Immigrant use of welfare appears to correlate with national
origin.
- There is no reputable evidence that prospective immigrants
are drawn to the U.S. because of its public assistance programs.
- Most researchers believe that few undocumented immigrants
illegally use public assistance programs. However, the data are
scarce, and firm conclusions cannot be drawn.
The above is the executive summary of an article in Research Perspectives on Migration, Vol. 1, No. 1, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace -- International Migration Policy Project
The complete article can be viewed |HERE|
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