Jaw-Dropping Share Of Unlawful Aliens Use Taxpayer-Funded Welfare

Nearly half of U.S. households led by non-citizens are tapping into government welfare programs, according to a new analysis that’s likely to fuel the ongoing immigration fight.

A report from the Center for Immigration Studies found that 47% of migrant-headed households use at least one traditional welfare program. When broader benefits like tax credits are included, that number climbs past 50%.

“Although most new legal immigrants and illegal immigrants are barred from accessing most means-tested programs, these restrictions have not prevented a large share of non-citizen-headed households from accessing the welfare system,” the study’s authors wrote.

“This is primarily because non-citizens often receive benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children and the restrictions only apply to some programs,” the authors continued.

The analysis looked at programs such as Supplemental Security Income, SNAP, WIC and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, among others.

Once tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit were factored in, welfare use among immigrant households jumped to 54%, compared to 31% for households led by U.S.-born residents.

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Researchers used Census survey data to break down welfare use by country of origin and found wide disparities. The study pointed to education levels as a major driver, arguing that reliance is tied more to income and family size than employment status.

“What matters is income, number of dependents, and sometimes assets — not employment,” the study stated. “Of course, employers do not see the costs created by allowing in large numbers of less-educated workers because the burden is diffuse, borne by all taxpayers. But that does not make the costs any less real.”

The highest rates of traditional welfare use were among households from Afghanistan at 87%, the Dominican Republic at 78% and Guatemala at 77%. At the lower end were Korea at 30%, the United Kingdom at 25% and India at 16%.

“Traditionally, one of the most important arguments for immigration is that it benefits the United States — that is, the existing population of Americans,” the authors stated. “From this perspective, it is certainly reasonable to expect that those who come from other countries should, with the possible exception of refugees and asylees, use very little welfare.”

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“However, this analysis, like others going back decades, has found that for many countries and regions this is not the case,” the authors continued.

The findings come as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to curb both illegal immigration and welfare use among foreign nationals.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services rolled out new policies in 2025 aimed at tightening eligibility, including closer scrutiny of green card applicants who have relied on taxpayer-funded benefits. Officials signaled that welfare use could jeopardize a migrant’s path to citizenship.

The agency also said it would weigh not just whether applicants avoided misconduct, but whether they demonstrated “positive attributes” to society.

At the same time, the administration warned that U.S. citizens who sponsor migrants could be on the hook financially if those individuals rely on public assistance, and could even face criminal penalties.

“It is crucial for sponsors and aliens to meet their fiscal obligations and not push financial burdens onto the American people,” USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser told the Daily Caller News Foundation at the time.

Even as federal officials move to tighten the rules, some Democrat-led states are expanding benefits. California lawmakers are pushing to restore full Medi-Cal coverage for illegal immigrants after budget-driven cuts, while a Colorado program providing health care to pregnant illegal immigrants has far exceeded initial cost estimates.

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