As the government shutdown continues, Democrats and establishment media outlets are insisting that illegal aliens cannot receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits. Yet, U.S. Census Bureau data analyzed by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) shows otherwise — revealing that illegal immigrants do sometimes directly secure welfare, and far more often, indirectly access benefits through household members.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) recently claimed, “Federal law prohibits the use of Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Affordable Care Act to provide health insurance in any way, shape, or form to undocumented immigrants. Period. Full stop.” CNN anchors and other outlets have repeated that line, calling GOP warnings about taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants “false.”
However, Census data paints a different picture. CIS researchers reviewed the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and found that illegal immigrant households do receive welfare at significant rates. According to CIS’s Jason Richwine:
- 59 percent of households headed by an illegal immigrant receive some form of welfare.
- 20 percent of illegal alien household heads personally receive benefits such as cash assistance, food stamps, Medicaid, or housing vouchers.
- In many cases, welfare access comes through U.S.-born children or other legal residents in the household, boosting participation rates far higher.
- For example, only 1 percent of illegal immigrant heads reported receiving Medicaid, but with citizen children included, the total household Medicaid participation rate was 39 percent.
This finding undercuts Democrat talking points. While it is technically illegal for non-citizens to apply directly for most federal welfare programs, their U.S.-born children are eligible, and benefits flow into the household regardless.
The White House recently warned that Democrat demands to end the shutdown would secure nearly $200 billion in taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants. Republicans argue that protecting these loopholes is one reason Democrats are refusing to pass a clean funding bill.
The data confirms what many Americans already suspect: illegal immigrants and their households do, in fact, access welfare benefits at taxpayer expense — despite repeated denials from Democrat leaders and their media allies.
