In recently released research by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), analysts discovered that about 63 percent of noncitizen households, those who live legally and illegally in the U.S., use some form of public welfare while only about 35 percent of native-born American households are on welfare.
Likewise, roughly 50 percent of naturalized citizens — those who legally immigrated to the country and became citizens — use taxpayer-funded welfare, as well as about 55 percent of all households headed by legal immigrants, those who are naturalized citizens and those who are not yet citizens.
Noncitizen households are more than twice as likely to use food welfare programs and Medicaid when compared to native-born American households. Only about 21 percent of native-born American households use food welfare programs and 23 percent use Medicaid.
Meanwhile, 45 percent of noncitizen households use food welfare programs and 50 percent are on Medicaid.
California and Texas have the most expansive welfare-dependent immigration. For example, more than 7-in-10 noncitizen households in California use at least one form of welfare compared to just 35 percent of native-born American households that use welfare in the state.
In Texas, nearly 70 percent of noncitizen households use welfare. Similar to California, only 35 percent of native-born American households are on welfare.
