As American families struggle with high housing costs, rising healthcare bills, and inflation, federal spending on refugee benefits has surged, leaving taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars. With Congress preparing to debate funding for the 2026 fiscal year, refugee assistance remains a flashpoint in national budget battles.
Federal refugee aid skyrocketed under the Biden administration as hundreds of thousands of refugees were admitted to the United States, particularly from Afghanistan and Somalia. In fiscal year 2021 — the final year of President Donald Trump’s first term — Congress appropriated just $1.91 billion for Refugee and Entrant Assistance (REA) programs. That figure jumped to nearly $9 billion in the first year of President Joe Biden’s term, driven by a record influx of arrivals.
The dramatic increase continued. According to government spending analyses, total federal assistance for refugee and migrant programs reached about $10 billion in fiscal year 2023. This included roughly $6.4 billion via the annual Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill, plus billions more in supplemental “emergency” funding.
Refugees are eligible for a wide range of taxpayer‑funded benefits, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), SNAP food assistance, WIC nutrition support, public housing and Section 8 vouchers, Medicaid and CHIP health coverage, federal student aid and Pell grants, workforce and job support services, and refugee resettlement programs through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Many also received up to 12 months of Refugee Cash Assistance and employment‑related services such as childcare, transportation assistance, job training, and English language courses.
Some refugees also qualified for specialized services like small business technical assistance, health services, and immigration‑related legal support to help them move toward permanent status.
Critics argue that many refugees continue to rely heavily on welfare programs. A Migration Policy Institute report found that Afghan arrivals have lower English proficiency, lower labor force participation, and significantly higher poverty rates than both U.S.‑born and other immigrant groups. As of 2022, roughly 39 percent of Afghan nationals in the U.S. lived in poverty, compared with 12 percent of Americans.
Similarly, data from the Center for Immigration Studies show that in Minnesota, about 80 percent of Somali immigrant households received some form of taxpayer‑funded welfare between 2014 and 2023, including many who have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade.
In addition, the refugee resettlement program’s rapid growth has drawn public scrutiny due to fraud allegations, particularly involving Somali‑linked daycare and social service providers in Minnesota.
With lawmakers returning to Washington, they face a tight timeline to pass nine appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026. One key piece is the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education funding bill, which includes $5.69 billion for refugee assistance services. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R‑SD) plans a vote on a five‑bill “minibus” package that includes this refugee funding and other agency budgets.
Supporters of robust refugee aid argue that assistance is crucial for humanitarian and integration goals, while critics contend that unchecked growth in these programs burdens taxpayers and discourages self‑sufficiency among recipients.
