Washington, D.C. (February 4, 2026) - A new analysis of the 2024
Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) by the Center for Immigration Studies finds that immigrant-headed households, both legal and illegal, are significantly more likely than U.S.-born households to receive means-tested anti-poverty benefits, also known as welfare. The ability of low-income immigrants, including illegal immigrants, to receive benefits on behalf of U.S.-born citizen children is a key reason why restrictions on welfare use for new legal immigrants and illegal immigrants are relatively ineffective.
“Most immigrants work, but a large share are less educated and have low incomes, which means many turn to the welfare system to support themselves or their children,” said Steven Camarota, Director of Research and lead author of the report. “If we want to reduce future dependence, we must select immigrants based on their skills and robustly enforce immigration laws. Trying to ban them from welfare once they are here does not work.”
Among the findings:
• 53% of immigrant-headed households (legal and illegal together), also called the foreign-born, use one or more welfare programs, compared to 37% of U.S.-born households.
• Immigrant households have especially high use of food programs compared to U.S.-born households (35% vs. 22%), Medicaid (39% vs. 27%), and the Earned Income Tax Credit (15% vs. 10%).
• 51% of households headed by legal immigrants and 61% of illegal immigrants use at least one major welfare program.
• Immigrant welfare use is common among both newer arrivals and well-established immigrants. Of households headed by an immigrant in the U.S. for less than 10 years, 48% access one or more programs, as do 54% with a head in the U.S. for 10 or more years.
• Although most new legal immigrants and illegal immigrants are formally barred from many programs, overall use remains high because benefits can be received for U.S.-born children, some programs remain accessible, states extend eligibility in certain cases, and many legal immigrants have resided long enough to qualify.
